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The apical Republican connected the Senate wellness committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy, faced disapproval from chap Republicans aft helium suggested his ballot for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arsenic Health and Human Services (HHS) caput is not a lock.
Cassidy, seat of the Senate Committee connected Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said during closing remarks astatine Kennedy's 2nd confirmation proceeding of the week that helium was "struggling" to corroborate the HHS caput nominee implicit his inability to admit vaccines are harmless and don't origin autism. "A worthy question called ‘MAHA,’" Cassidy said Thursday, "to amended the health of Americans, oregon to undermine it, ever asking for much evidence, and ne'er accepting the grounds that is determination … That is wherefore I've been struggling with your nomination."
GOP Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., did not clasp backmost his choler implicit Cassidy's remarks, saying, "RFK is going to tally HHS whether you similar it oregon not." The station included a photograph of Cassidy and Kennedy shaking hands astatine Thursday's confirmation hearing.
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"The Senate is ours, and the infinitesimal Trump decides he’s had capable of random senators delaying our mission, JD [Vance] is walking successful and taking the gavel arsenic president of the Senate," Higgins said. Vice President JD Vance would beryllium the tie-breaking ballot if the resulting tally goes on enactment lines and Cassidy and 2 different Republicans defect. Vance did truthful aft GOP Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine voted against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's nomination.
"There’s zero you tin bash astir that," Higgins said. "We, the people, volition not beryllium stopped. We’re redeeming the state and RFK is portion of the formula. So, ballot your conscience, senator, oregon don’t. Either way, we’re watching."
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GOP organizer and strategist Scott Presler said that if Cassidy did not ballot for Kennedy, that helium would "personally travel to Louisiana" to signifier a superior situation against Cassidy successful an effort to oust him. "We already person a location basal successful Iberia Parish," Pressler said. Meanwhile, a section of the Louisiana Republican Assembly replied to Pressler's threats, noting they were "ready to mobilize erstwhile needed."
Charlie Kirk, different GOP organizer and activistic who is besides a adjacent state of President Donald Trump, shared a somewhat much measured condemnation of Cassidy. "I judge this was a sincere infinitesimal from Chairman Bill Cassidy," Kirk wrote successful effect to the senator's closing remarks astatine Thursday's hearing. However, Kirk added that helium "respectfully" thinks that Cassidy "has this backwards."
"Many already don't spot vaccine manufacturers who bask ineligible immunity for immoderate injuries they cause. Many already don't spot our large nutrient producers and the ingredients they use. Many already don't spot large medicine, large hospitals, oregon large pharma," Kirk said. "RFK Jr. has said repeatedly he's pro-vaccine, but he's consenting to inquire the aforesaid questions millions of parents are asking close present astir ramped-up vaccine schedules, harmful ingredients, and a unsighted spot successful the manufacturers that are enriched by authorities mandates, adjacent aft COVID."
While Republicans were incensed by Cassidy's remarks, the president of Advancing American Freedom (AAF), a blimpish nonprofit founded by Trump's erstwhile Vice President Mike Pence, applauded Cassidy's captious attack to Kennedy's nomination.
"It’s refreshing to spot senators taking their counsel and consent relation seriously," AAF President Tim Chapman said erstwhile asked astir Cassidy's comments. "We person abstracted branches of authorities for a reason, and nominees, specified arsenic RFK, who volition beryllium handling the largest magnitude of payer dollars and controlling the national effect to the beingness contented merit superior consideration. Every legislator indispensable dainty this nominee with the aforesaid gravitas that Senator Cassidy is."
Fox News Digital reached retired to representatives for Cassidy but did not person a effect by work time.
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