Speaking on June 28 on CBS’s Face The Nation Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said that he lost all faith in Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and accused RFK’s policies on vaccines and public health of being built on a “foundation of lies.” Cassidy, who is a medical doctor, said, “If you build public health upon a foundation of lies, then you’re going to have the absence of adequate public health. You need to build everything in life on truth.” Cassidy cast the deciding vote to confirm RFK as the health secretary, only after promises (which were not honored) to ensure guardrails were in place to maintain the vaccine policies.
In the CBS interview, Senator Cassidy also spoke of his “shouting match” with President Trump at a June 24 luncheon with senators on Capitol Hill. Cassidy accused the president of treating Congress like an “appendage” on the Iran War, giving little or no information. At the luncheon, President Trump asked why anyone voted for the June 23 War Powers Resolution. Cassidy said, “I stood and said, ‘You have not told the American people what’s going on. This is supposed to last four weeks. It lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved.’” Several senators supported Cassidy’s actions at the event. According to the senator, Trump “did not particularly care for my comments” and “raised his voice.” The president called the senator a “lunatic,” and told him to sit down. Cassidy said, “The president just kind of talked and talked and talked and talked and talked.” Cassidy continued, “And so I sat down and tried to de-escalate. I guess my point is, though, that the American people need to know more than we’re being told.” Cassidy also said that the president’s comments were part of “whatever comes to mind as to demean another person.” Hours after the shouting match on Capitol Hill, Senator Cassidy was invited to the White House to receive a personal briefing from both Vice President JD Vance and White House envoy Steve Witkoff. After this briefing, Senator Cassidy voted against the War Powers Resolution.
