Cassidy Calls Measles Outbreak a 'Terrible Legacy' for Trump Administration as Pennsylvania Confirms Third Measles Death, Fourth Under Review

Since Bangladesh's outbreak passed 1,044 deaths and the U.S. logged its worst measles year since 1991, the fight over who's responsible has moved to the U.S. Senate. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana opened Wednesday's confirmation hearing for three Trump health nominees by calling the outbreak "a terrible legacy for this administration," according to the Washington Post, as carried by the Spokesman-Review.

Cassidy pointed to Pennsylvania, where state health officials confirmed Tuesday that three people have died of measles this year, with a fourth death under review, according to the Spokesman-Review. "Misinformation and misguided policies are leaving children and adults unprotected against disease that we know how to prevent," Cassidy said.

The hearing wasn't just about Dr. Nicole Saphier, Trump's pick for surgeon general. The committee is also weighing Chris Klomp for HHS deputy secretary and Timothy Westlake to lead the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, according to the Guardian.

The exchange over 'lethal'

Cassidy pressed Saphier directly on whether the MMR vaccine is dangerous, referencing past comments from Trump. "Is the MMR vaccine extremely lethal, as the president said?" Cassidy asked, according to the Guardian. Saphier responded that she "cannot speak to what the president has said" but added, "I do not believe the MMR vaccine to be lethal. I believe the MMR vaccine is our greatest tool for combating measles."

Saphier also told the committee she does not believe childhood vaccines cause autism and that she supports the government's hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for newborns, according to the Epoch Times. That puts her at odds with changes Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s department has attempted, including a shift to recommend hepatitis B vaccination only for infants born to mothers who tested positive, a change a federal judge has blocked.

HHS pushes back

HHS spokeswoman Emily Hilliard rejected Cassidy's framing outright. "Any notion that the Trump Administration is discouraging measles vaccination is absolutely fake news," Hilliard said in a statement to the Washington Post, adding that Kennedy has "repeatedly stated that MMR vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles infection" and that the CDC has "mounted an aggressive measles response," including offering additional assistance to Pennsylvania.

Hilliard pointed to Trump's executive order from last month, which calls for cutting the number of recommended childhood shots and breaking the combined MMR vaccine into three separate doses. She said the order "ensures that federal vaccine policy is grounded in rigorous scientific review and gives parents accurate information to make informed decisions with their healthcare providers."

The administration's core position is that the order doesn't ban or discourage the vaccine but changes how it's delivered. Kennedy has publicly backed MMR vaccination while noting it carries side effects and framing it as an individual choice. Whether splitting a combination shot into three separate doses increases or decreases actual vaccination rates remains unclear based on available evidence.

The political undercurrent

Cassidy's remarks land amid a separate, sharper feud between Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat weighing a presidential run, and Kennedy, according to the Spokesman-Review. Democrats and public health researchers argue Kennedy's history running an anti-vaccine group has undermined immunization messaging for years. Kennedy has accused Shapiro of exploiting the deaths politically.

Cassidy's own position complicates the narrative. He lost his Republican primary this year and isn't seeking reelection, according to Ground News, after Trump endorsed a rival following Cassidy's vote to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial. Cassidy also previously cast the deciding committee vote to advance Kennedy's own confirmation as health secretary. Critics on the left, including a Joe.My.God commentary, argue Cassidy bears some responsibility for the policies he now condemns, since he chairs the committee with oversight power over HHS.

Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan used the same hearing to press Saphier, Klomp and Westlake on whether they would follow the law over presidential directives if the two conflicted. All three gave assurances they would, according to Ground News.

The Senate Health Committee has not yet scheduled a vote on Saphier's nomination. Pennsylvania's fourth measles death remains under review by state health officials, and no timeline for a final determination has been given.