A small group of protestors gathered outside of where Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) Baton Rouge office Friday to voice their concerns over his confirmation of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The protestors held signs and wore shirts supportive of vaccines and noting the scientific consensus on their safety. They also called for Cassidy to come outside and speak with them, which he did not. The protest was centered around the perception that Cassidy, a licensed physician, has not challenged Kennedy, a noted vaccine skeptic, enough.
Cassidy cast a critical vote to approve Kennedy as HHS secretary in February on the assurance that Kennedy would not make changes to the board that sets vaccine policy for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to NPR. In June, Kennedy fired all 17 members of the board.
Protestors in front of Cassidy’s office said it feels like he’s broken his Hippocratic Oath. “ I guarantee you any family from the 1950s whose child got struck down by polio, if they could peep into our world right now, they would be gobsmacked at what we're doing,” protestor Monica Murphy, with Indivisible Baton Rouge, said.
Cassidy has also been in the headlines recently for taking part in a bipartisan questioning of Kennedy’s actions at HHS and because of his comments on a new Louisiana policy requiring people to receive a prescription for the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Shreveport Times reported that Cassidy recommended that Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham should write a “blanket prescription” for the COVID vaccine.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry posted the article on his X with a retort.
“The last time I checked you have a prescription pad, why don’t you just leave a prescription for the dangerous Covid shot at your district office and anyone can swing by and get one! I am sure big pharma would love you for that one!” Landry posted.
Cassidy is up for re-election next year.
WRKF Capitol Access Reporter Brooke Thorington contributed to this report.
