| Bill Cassidy has been torn between two loyalties: medicine and politics. On one hand, he’s a medical doctor who’s publicly extolled the virtues of vaccines. On the other, he’s a Republican senator up for reelection in the red state of Louisiana who faces political risks if he openly defies the Trump administration. Cassidy, who’s head of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, very publicly wrestled with approving Kennedy as Health and Human Services secretary at the beginning of the year. He said he extracted concessions from Kennedy on vaccines and staffing in exchange for his yes vote. But Cassidy has struggled to gain ground in his role as a self-appointed Kennedy watchdog. Since taking office earlier this year, Kennedy has moved to undo parts of America’s vaccine infrastructure. He dismissed all the members of a key vaccine advisory committee, delaying immunization decisions on who gets shots and whether insurers cover them, then installed vaccine critics on that panel. Kennedy clashed with head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Susan Monarez, over immunizations and fired her just weeks after she’d been confirmed by the Senate for that role. Meanwhile, misinformation about vaccines is running rampant — to a dangerous extent. A gunman opened fire at the CDC campus last month after outlining his frustrations with Covid vaccines. Kennedy, who was a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement during the pandemic, wouldn’t blame the shooting on vaccine misinformation. Kennedy uses the terminology of mainstream medicine, like returning the CDC to “gold standard science,” even as he makes policy moves more closely with those with anti-vaccination views. In the midst of a measles outbreak that killed two children in Texas, he posted both that vaccines are “the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles,” while also touting unconventional therapies like steroids and antibiotics. The shifting rules and political rhetoric mean that doctors and patients don’t even know whether they can get Covid shots this season. All this leaves Cassidy in a bind. It’s clear Kennedy’s pushing forward with an agenda that will make it harder for people to get shots. So far, Cassidy hasn’t called for an investigation into Kennedy’s handling of the CDC director’s firing, which could unearth even more information about Kennedy’s anti-vaccine objectives. But on Tuesday, he shared his frustration with reporters. “This is about children's health,” Cassidy said. “This is about how we protect the children of the United States of America. And there’s allegations that their health is being endangered. Without presupposing anybody’s right or wrong, we’ve got to get to the bottom of it. And it’ll take radical transparency. My colleagues agree.” While this might imply Cassidy will take a hard line with Kennedy at the hearing, when asked whether he still has confidence in the health secretary, Cassidy held back, saying he’s “reserving judgement.” Today’s hearing should offer a window into what judgement Cassidy ultimately makes about Kennedy — and what steps Congress takes to wade into the now perpetually political conversation around vaccines. — Cynthia Koons and Steven T. Dennis Note: Yesterday’s newsletter was corrected to give the full name of an organization arguing that psilocybin should be reclassified as a Schedule II drug by the US government. | 
