Kathrine Frich
He claimed Kennedy had made specific promises behind closed doors.
Political decisions often cast a long shadow. When a politician is cornered on live television about a past endorsement, the response is usually a masterclass in dodging the question.
Dodging the question
A live television interview quickly turned uncomfortable for Senator Bill Cassidy on Thursday morning. According to Huffpost, the Republican appeared on CNBC to discuss national health policy. As a practicing physician, he now frequently clashes with the current administration over science and medicine.
The timing was awkward. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order spacing out childhood vaccinations. Cassidy criticized the move on the air, warning about the heavy burden it places on parents.
That prompted “Squawk Box” co-host Leslie Picker to confront him. She reminded the senator that he cast the crucial vote for Kennedy, according to HuffPost. “Do you regret those decisions?” she pressed.
Blaming a broken promise
Cassidy offered a winding response. He completely avoided a simple yes or no. First, he pointed out that the recent vaccine schedule change came directly from the White House. Then he claimed Kennedy had made specific promises behind closed doors.
“Well, so first, this is a presidential executive order. RFK told me he was not going to change the ACIP,” Cassidy said.
“So if you’re going to tell me that somebody didn’t tell me the truth, and I should have like, you know, seen in the future that they were not going to tell the truth. You can say ‘Oh Bill, you should have seen into the future,’ in which case I’d be on your show talking about the futures of stocks as opposed to vaccine policy,” he continued.
A familiar pattern
The senator also expressed deep confidence in Erica Schwartz. She is the nominee for CDC director. He stated she has “the spine of somebody who’s been a senior officer in the Coast Guard.”
Cassidy recalled a private conversation. The nominee assured him of her strict moral compass. “She said, ‘I don’t need this job. My integrity is more important to me,'” he noted.
This marks a recurring pattern for the lawmaker. In June, he told CBS’ “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that Kennedy was building public health upon a “foundation of lies.”
Yet when asked about his confirmation vote on “Fox News Sunday” earlier this year, he dodged. “I’m often asked that, but I’d rather not make this personal like what [my feelings are],” he replied. “It should be about the health of the patient.”
Sources: HuffPost, CNBC, CBS, Fox News
