Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) questioned HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday at a Senate Finance Hearing on President Donald Trump’s health care agenda. Cassidy asked Kennedy how he can oppose an mRNA vaccine while arguing Trump deserves a Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Speed. Kennedy praised other aspects of Trump’s Warp Speed program. “First of all, the reason that Operation Warp Speed was genius is it did something nobody had ever been done,” Kennedy told Cassidy. “I don’t think any president but President Trump could do it. It got the vaccine to market that was perfectly matched to the virus at that time, when it was badly needed, because there was low natural immunity and there were people getting very badly injured by COVID. And then, but he was also, it was also brought in therapeutics like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin and protocols for treatments and all, and there were no mandates.”

SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Thank you, I’ll try and restore a little calm here, and I’m approaching this as a doctor, not as a senator. I am concerned about children’s health, seniors health, all of our health, and I applaud you for joining the president in a call for radical transparency. Thank you for that. I said yesterday, I believe it, that President Trump deserves a Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Speed. If he had been President Obama, he would have gotten it, but because of Operation Warp Speed, forcing the federal government to come to a vaccine development within ten months when others said it couldn’t be done, we saved millions of lives globally, trillions of dollars, we reopened economies, an incredible accomplishment. Mr. Secretary, do you agree with me that the president, that the president deserves a Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Speed? Absolutely, Senator, that’s phenomenal. Let me ask you, but you just told Senator Bennett that the COVID vaccine killed more people than COVID. Wait, I did not say that. Okay, then let me ask, because you also… Senator, I just want to make clear, I did not say that. We’ll check the record, that’s a question of fact. You also said that you were also, as lead attorney for the Children’s Health Defense, you engaged in multiple lawsuits attempting to restrict access to the COVID vaccine. Again, it surprises me that you think so highly of Operation Warp Speed when, as an attorney, you attempted to restrict access. I’m happy to explain why. I have, I had three minutes and 30 seconds left. It also surprises me, because you’ve canceled, or HHA’s did, but apparently under your direction, five hundred million dollars in contracts using the mRNA vaccine platform that was critical to Operation Warp Speed. Again, an accomplishment that I think President Trump should get a Nobel Prize for. You canceled five hundred million in contracts. Now, I grew up in a middle-class family, so five hundred million dollars seems, just to cancel, it seems like an incredible waste of money. But it also seems like a commentary upon what the president was attempting, what the president did in Operation Warp Speed, which is to create a platform by which to create vaccines. So this just seems inconsistent that you would agree with me the president deserves tremendous amount of credit for this. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.: Is this a question, Senator Cassidy, or is this the speech that you don’t want me to answer? CASSIDY: I’m asking — KENNEDY: Because I want to answer that question. CASSIDY: Please, please. KENNEDY: If it’s a question. CASSIDY: But be tight, please. KENNEDY: First of all, the reason that Operation Warp Speed was genius is it did something nobody had ever been done. I don’t think any president but President Trump could do it. It got the vaccine to market that was perfectly matched to the virus at that time, when it was badly needed, because there was low natural immunity and there were people getting very badly injured by COVID. And then, but he was also, it was also brought in therapeutics like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin and protocols for treatments and all, and there were no mandates. CASSIDY: Okay, I have another question, so please. KENNEDY: That’s when I began litigating against President Biden’s mandates. Now, in terms of me cancelling those contracts — CASSIDY: I have limited time, Mr. Secretary, I’m sorry. You’ve called for, and rightly so, that we should restrict participation in agencies for those with conflict of interest. I would like to submit, for the record, an evaluation of the conflict of interest of those who are on the ACIP and the vaccines related biologic products advisory board. It was not 97% as alleged, rather it was 6.9% and it was 1.2% I think for the other panel. Now, I am concerned though, because many of those whom you have nominated for the ACIP board. KENNEDY: Senator, you have the facts wrong in there. CASSIDY: Excuse me, can I have my time back? What I am concerned about is that many of those whom you’ve nominated for ACIP have received revenue as serving as expert witnesses for plaintiff’s attorneys suing vaccine makers. Now, one of my colleagues in another setting alleged that you seem more interested in settlements than science. If we put people who are paid witnesses for people suing vaccines, that actually seems like a conflict of interest. Real quickly, do you agree with that? KENNEDY: No, I don’t. It may be a bias, and that bias if disclosed is okay, but it’s not a financial conflict of interest. [CROSSTALK] CASSIDY: Let me finish up. You also told Senator Wyden at the outset that you didn’t want to take vaccines away from people, and as I conclude, I would like to say this. Because of the conflicting recommendations made by about COVID, this is from Eric Erickson, good conservative out of Atlanta, Georgia, occasionally gives me help, my wife has stage four lung cancer. She is one of the people that COVID vaccine actually helps. Thanks to the current mess at HHS, CVS is unable to get her vaccine. Secondly, an email from a physician friend of mine, hey Bill, I’m not even sure what I’m asking you, but we’re all confused and concerned about who can get the COVID vaccine. We are having our attorney try and render an opinion, but there’s no firm guidance and concern about liability if vaccines are given to a patient requested but not on the current CDC list. Pharmacists are requiring a prescription now even for patients over 65, creating a huge headache. I submit these for the record. I would say effectively we’re denying people vaccines. KENNEDY: I think you’re wrong.

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