By Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) accused Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of lying to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) when he told the senator he would maintain a key federal vaccine advisory committee “without changes.”
During a budget hearing held by the House Energy & Commerce Health subcommittee, Schrier, a pediatrician, described the dire impacts of skipping childhood vaccinations for illnesses, such as whopping cough.
“You know what’s great? There’s a vaccine that prevents this,” Schrier told Kennedy. “We rely on the advisory committee on immunization practices, a panel of experts, to recommend which vaccines people should get at which ages and the like.”
“Now I know Sen. Cassidy had concerns about your views on this and so when he voted to confirm you as Secretary of HHS on Feb. 4, he explained that decision by saying on the Senate floor that, ‘If confirmed, you will maintain the CDC’s advisory committee on immunization practices without changes,'” Schrier recounted.
“But then two weeks ago you fired all 17 experts on that very committee. Mr. Secretary, question for you, did you lie to Sen. Cassidy when you told him you would not change this panel of experts?” Schrier asked.
Kennedy denied every making that commitment to Cassidy and said if the Louisiana senator said as much, then that was “inaccurate.”
“I made an agreement with him and he and I talked many times about that agreement,” he said.
Kennedy fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), citing his repeated claims that there are potential conflicts of interest among the committee members. Soon after, he announced eight new members to replace those he’d fired, including known spreaders of vaccine and COVID-19 misinformation.
Cassidy, the chair of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, publicly struggled over whether to back Kennedy’s confirmation earlier this year. The Louisiana Republican said he received a series of promises about vaccine safety from Kennedy and eventually voted for him.
“I just want to tell you that for most of us sitting here right now, we believe Sen. Cassidy more than we trust you when it comes to vaccinations. It sounds to me like you gave him the answer he needed to hear in order to get his confirmation vote and then as soon as you were secretary, you turned around and did whatever you want. You fired all 17 members,” said Schrier. “You lied to Sen. Cassidy.”
Kennedy on Tuesday insisted he was “complying” with all agreements he’d made with Cassidy.
Schrier ended her time by telling Kennedy, “I will lay all responsibility for every death from a vaccine-preventable illness at your feet.”
On Monday, Cassidy called for delaying an ACIP meeting scheduled to be held this week, citing the lack of experience among Kennedy’s newly-picked members.
“Wednesday’s meeting should not proceed with a relatively small panel, and no CDC Director in place to approve the panel’s recommendations” he wrote on social media.
“The meeting should be delayed until the panel is fully staffed with more robust and balanced representation—as required by law—including those with more direct relevant expertise. Otherwise, ACIP’s recommendations could be viewed with skepticism, which will work against the success of this Administration’s efforts,” he added.
The Hill has reached out to Cassidy’s office for comment on Kennedy’s remarks during Tuesday’s hearing.