Bill Cassidy rebukes Katie Couric for ‘demeaning’ Trump health nominee in fiery exchange
Sen. Bill Cassidy rebuked Katie Couric for “demeaning” President Trump’s choose to steer the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during a fiery interview through which the Louisiana Republican was repeatedly pressed over his assist for the administration’s controversial health officers.
Cassidy, a doctor who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, bristled after Couric prompt he was prepared to accept an “adequate” CDC nominee in Dr. Erica G. Schwartz, whom Cassidy has backed despite considerations about whether or not she would stand up to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“You’re implying that there could be a better nominee. I’m not sure there can be,” Cassidy shot back.
Sen. Bill Cassidy rebukes Katie Couric for “demeaning” a Trump health nominee during an exchange. YouTube / Katie Couric
“When I look at her record, and spoke to her privately, and speak to those who know her well, I think she’ll be a good nominee, and maybe a great one,” he added.
Then Cassidy turned on Couric.
“I’m not going to lie, you’re demeaning — you’re demeaning her,” he said.
“I’m not saying that you’re doing it in a way that attempts to demean, but you are demeaning the quality of who she could be, and I will not accept that.”
Couric responded: “Okay, well then I stand corrected,” before asking Cassidy to clarify his assertion that Schwartz could be working under “difficult circumstances” at the CDC.
Cassidy acknowledged there could possibly be friction between Schwartz and Kennedy if the CDC director follows the science while her boss takes a different place.
Cassidy, a doctor and chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, defended his assist for Schwartz while acknowledging she might face “a certain tension” with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. YouTube / Katie Couric
“If your secretary doesn’t believe in one thing, and you’re having to adopt something which is more science-based, there’s going to be a certain tension there,” Cassidy said.
Couric grilled Cassidy during a contentious interview over the senator’s position in confirming Trump’s health nominees.
Cassidy forged the essential vote in the Senate Finance Committee that superior Kennedy’s nomination in February of last 12 months after publicly expressing deep reservations about his report on vaccines.
He subsequently voted to substantiate Kennedy as HHS secretary.
Couric reminded Cassidy that he obtained non-public assurances from Kennedy before supporting him — including commitments involving vaccine entry and the present vaccine approval course of — only to conclude later that Kennedy had not honored them.
“With all due respect, Senator, we have seen this movie before,” Couric told him.
Dr. Erica G. Schwartz received Cassidy’s assist after privately reassuring the Louisiana senator that she would stand by scientific proof while main the CDC. AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib
Cassidy acknowledged the risk of relying again on non-public assurances however argued that leaving the CDC without everlasting management also carried penalties amid a number of public-health threats.
“If you wait for the person for whom you have no doubt whatsoever, you may never get that person,” he said.
Schwartz, a physician, lawyer and preventive-medicine specialist, beforehand held senior positions in the Coast Guard and US Public Health Service, including serving as deputy surgeon common.
Her choice has nonetheless raised questions over whether or not she would exercise impartial scientific judgment under Kennedy.
Earlier in the interview, Couric also repeatedly pushed Cassidy to say whether or not Kennedy remained certified to run HHS after the senator criticized what he called false info about vaccines coming from the division.
“He serves at the pleasure of the president,” Cassidy initially replied.
“That’s not the question I asked, Senator,” Couric interrupted. “I said, ‘Is he qualified to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services given the misinformation he has perpetrated in this country?’”
Cassidy finally gave his clearest reply: “If I was the president of the United States, he would not be my secretary of HHS.”
Cassidy said that if he had been president, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “would not be my secretary of HHS,” while criticizing false info about vaccines coming from the division. Getty Images
But he accused Couric of attempting to show their disagreements into a private confrontation.
“I really think your line of questioning is trying to … develop a Bill versus Bobby sort of scenario,” Cassidy said, including that “much of that which has been coming out regarding vaccines is false.”
Couric then requested whether or not, realizing what he is aware of now, Cassidy would still forged his vote to substantiate Kennedy.
The senator declined to present a yes-or-no reply.
After Cassidy left to forged a Senate vote, Couric told listeners the encounter had left her exasperated.
“This was one of the most frustrating interviews I’ve done in a very long time,” Couric said.
“The fact that he is not up for reelection, apparently, didn’t seem to make him any more willing to speak truth to power.”
Navigate the fast-paced world of business with us. At OurFinancetoday.com/business, we offer well timed and insightful coverage on every little thing from market traits and startup success tales to financial news, entrepreneurship ideas, and global financial shifts.
Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, a small business proprietor, or a seasoned govt, our content is designed to tell, empower, and inspire your next transfer in the business world.
Our editorial team dives deep into real-world methods, company profiles, and knowledgeable analysis to deliver you articles that matter. We simplify complicated business developments and highlight the innovations, challenges, and alternatives shaping industries today.
Make sure to bookmark our Business part and go to often — in a world that never stops transferring, staying informed is your greatest benefit.
