When Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) — a physician, longtime advocate for healthcare policy, and potential swing vote on the Finance Committee — voted to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of HHS, he didn’t just make a political choice. He made a choice that undermines science, public health, and the very Hippocratic Oath he once swore to uphold.
While Cassidy claims to have taken this decision “very seriously,” he must know it is wrong. As a legislator, he understands that the HHS secretary oversees critical health institutions like the CDC, FDA, and CMS. As a doctor, he has firsthand knowledge of how these agencies impact patient care, from ensuring access to safe medications to shaping life-saving public health policies. Entrusting this role to Kennedy — a man with no qualifications beyond his fame as a purveyor of medical disinformation — isn’t just reckless. It endangers us all.
Kennedy’s Dangerous Track Record
Kennedy’s record must not be mistaken for misunderstood skepticism. He is one of the most prolific and, seemingly, deliberate spreaders of medical misinformation online.
Through his organization, Children’s Health Defense, Kennedy has falsely linked vaccines to autism, opposed COVID-19 safety measures, and promoted debunked medical treatments. In 2021, the Center for Countering Digital Hate identified him as one of the “Disinformation Dozen” — a small group responsible for nearly two-thirds of anti-vaccine content circulating online. All of this suggests this promotion of falsehoods has eroded public trust in vaccines, contributing to preventable disease outbreaks and declining immunization rates.
The consequences of his rhetoric have been deadly. In 2019, Kennedy traveled to Samoa to support an investigation into routine childhood vaccinations. His visit coincided with a devastating measles outbreak that infected thousands and killed dozens of unvaccinated children. When confronted by the country’s prime minister, Kennedy expressed no remorse. Instead, he baselessly suggested that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine itself may have been responsible for the deaths.
While angling for HHS secretary confirmation, Kennedy tried to sanitize his record. During his Senate hearing, he framed himself not as an anti-vaccine crusader, but as a principled advocate for “good science” and “safety.” This appears to be a blatant lie. The scientific consensus on vaccine safety is long established. It’s widely recognized that serious adverse effects from vaccinations are incredibly rare. The only published study to ever suggest a significant association between vaccination and lifelong disability — the infamous 1999 Wakefield paper in the Lancet — was exposed as fraudulent and later retracted.
By dismissing this established science in search of something superior, Kennedy appears to demonstrate complete disinterest in evidence that refutes his worldview. As HHS secretary, he will only have a larger platform to erode public confidence in vaccines under the guise of pursuing “gold standard science” that will never be good enough for him.
A Physician’s Vote Should Reflect Medical Ethics
Almost no senator is better positioned to recognize this deception than Cassidy.
Cassidy is not just another politician. He is one of only four trained physicians in the Senate and is bound by an ethical obligation to champion science, evidence-based medicine, and policies that save lives.
He has long cultivated a reputation as a rational, science-driven conservative, supporting funding for medical research and speaking out on vaccine importance. Moreover, Cassidy was reticent to quickly line up to disregard his professional oath and announce support for Kennedy ahead of the first Senate vote. Cassidy’s public displays of discomfort with the nomination sent a clear message: he seems to know exactly who Kennedy is and what his leadership would mean. Some observers predicted Cassidy’s vote would be difficult, if not impossible, for Kennedy to win over.
So why did Cassidy change course?
On the Senate floor, Cassidy justified his vote by parroting Kennedy’s revisionist rhetoric — reiterating that Kennedy said he “just wants good science and to ensure safety.” But Cassidy should know this is nonsense. He watched Kennedy refuse to disavow his past vaccine-autism claims during his confirmation hearing. It also appears Cassidy doesn’t trust Kennedy to govern responsibly — otherwise, he wouldn’t have extracted preemptive concessions, including mandatory meetings and commitments to maintain existing vaccine safety protocols. If Cassidy truly believed in Kennedy’s fitness for the role, why would these conditions be necessary?
The answer is simple: We believe Cassidy prioritized political expediency over medical integrity. He arguably chose to align himself with President Donald Trump and conspiracy rather than the national interest and public health.
Meanwhile, Cassidy set the stage for his physician colleagues — Republican senators Roger Marshall, MD (Kan.), John Barrasso, MD (Wyo.), and Rand Paul, MD (Ky.) — to follow suit. They have all betrayed their oath as doctors.
What’s at Stake: A Nation’s Health and Safety
After securing Cassidy’s support, Kennedy was all but assured to be confirmed by the Senate. And in the end he was confirmed by a 52-48 vote. The potential consequences of Kennedy’s elevation to HHS secretary will be profound:
- Vaccine programs could be dismantled or defunded, leaving millions vulnerable to preventable disease.
- Funding for infectious disease research could be slashed, slowing vaccine development and antimicrobial innovations.
- Gun violence research — long recognized as a public health issue — could be deprioritized or defunded.
- Medicare and Medicaid policy could be shaped by someone with no expertise in healthcare systems.
This list is just the beginning.
More fundamentally, we should expect the deadly crisis of medical misinformation to be exacerbated under Kennedy’s tenure as HHS secretary. Confirming a science denier for such a crucial role poses an existential threat to evidence-based medical practice and could irreparably damage the integrity of our public health institutions.
We have already seen how misinformation harms patients — from surging interest in dangerous, unproven therapies during the COVID-19 pandemic to vaccine refusal begetting a resurgence in measles. With Kennedy leading HHS, conspiracy theories may soon have a sounding board at the highest levels of the American medical establishment. Abandoning empiricism and the highest scientific standards will leave us far sicker as a nation.
Senator Cassidy’s Legacy
Cassidy’s choice to send Kennedy’s nomination to the floor will forever be remembered as crucial in assuring Kennedy’s confirmation.
Under unrelenting pressure from his party, Cassidy betrayed his solemn oath as a physician to elevate a dangerous ideologue to the highest halls of power. At this critical moment, he lacked the courage to put our nation’s health before his personal political fortunes.
It is the choices our public officials make in the most difficult situations that defines their character. By supporting Kennedy’s nomination, Cassidy, Marshall, Barrasso, and Paul have shown us theirs.
We fear that history will not be kind.
Joseph V. Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA, is a survivor of gun violence, a trauma surgeon, and executive vice chair of surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He also serves as chair of the Board and Chief Medical Officer at Brady United. Samuel Okum is a medical student at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
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