Key facts
- Senator Bill Cassidy urged FDA nominee Robert Califf to commit to challenging vaccine misinformation.
- Cassidy stated that honesty about vaccine safety is crucial for the American people.
- Cassidy supported surgeon general nominee Dr. Nicole Saphier for stating vaccines are safe.
- Cassidy has criticized the administration's vaccine policies since losing his Senate primary in May.
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, chaired by Cassidy, will consider Overton's nomination on Thursday.
Senator Bill Cassidy has urged the nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Robert Califf, to commit to challenging vaccine misinformation, particularly claims made by President Donald Trump. Cassidy emphasized the need for "radical honesty" in communicating vaccine safety to the public. He cited Dr. Nicole Saphier, a nominee for surgeon general, as an example of someone who earned his support by affirming vaccine safety during her confirmation hearing. Cassidy's push comes as he has increasingly voiced criticism of the current administration's vaccine policies following his defeat in Louisiana's Republican Senate primary in May, an election where he finished behind Trump-endorsed candidates. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which Cassidy chairs, is scheduled to consider Califf's nomination on Thursday.