Cassidy is expected to challenge RFK Jr. on his vaccine skepticism and views on public health in today's confirmation hearing.

The GOP senator and former physician expressed misgivings about whether Trump’s controversial HHS pick could be trusted with the public’s health.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, concluded Thursday's hearing by saying he was "struggling" with the nomination due to Kennedy's vaccine positions. Kennedy notably refused to say vaccines don't cause autism as he faced pointed question from lawmakers.

After watching 6-plus hours of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifying before two Senate committees, I have no idea whether he'll be confirmed as HHS secretary — I could see it going either way. Yes, but: It was still incredibly interesting to watch Kennedy reintroduce himself after decades in the public eye,

Sanders, the senior minority party member on the committee, pressed Kennedy to concede that health care was a human right, as his father, Robert F. Kennedy, and his uncles, John F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy, had done. Kennedy again did not give a definitive answer.

While Democrats blasted Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for previous comments on vaccines and some Republicans teed him up for stump speeches, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana mostly stuck

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has urged the U.S. Senate — including specifically Sen. Bill Cassidy, a fellow Republican from Louisiana — to support Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“We have to do that because we have very big deficits with those countries,” Trump told reporters Thursday, adding that the tariffs “may or may not rise with time.” Trump also complained that both countries had not done enough to curb illegal migrants and fentanyl coming across the U.S. border.

Kennedy, tapped by Trump to lead HHS, struggled to ease concerns held by on-the-fence GOP senators over his long history of vaccine skepticism.

The top Republican on the Senate's health committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., faced criticism from fellow Republicans after he suggested his vote for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation as Health and Human Services secretary is not a lock.

After two days of Senate committee hearings, four Republicans have declined to commit to approving Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose stance on vaccines remains a hot-button issue even after being presented with scientific evidence.