{"id":2397922,"date":"2025-02-02T07:58:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-02T12:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/conservatives-wait-in-the-wings-as-senator-wrestles-with-rfk-jr-vote\/"},"modified":"2025-02-02T08:00:07","modified_gmt":"2025-02-02T13:00:07","slug":"conservatives-wait-in-the-wings-as-senator-wrestles-with-rfk-jr-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/conservatives-wait-in-the-wings-as-senator-wrestles-with-rfk-jr-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"Conservatives wait in the wings as senator wrestles with RFK Jr. vote"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fconservatives-wait-in-the-wings-as-senator-wrestles-with-rfk-jr-vote%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2397922&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article\u200c discusses \u200cthe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-prepares-executive-order-to-address-expected-surge-in-activity-as-border-deal-collapses\/\" title=\"Biden readies executive order for border activity surge amid collapsed deal\">political challenges faced<\/a>\u200b by republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana regarding his \u200dstance on Robert \u2064F. Kennedy Jr.&#8217;s nomination\u2063 to lead the \u200dDepartment of Health\u2064 and Human Services. Cassidy, who has expressed reservations about Kennedy&#8217;s\u2062 vaccine skepticism, is under pressure from conservative constituents and political \u2062rivals, \u200bincluding Louisiana \u200dState Treasurer John Fleming. With a primary challenge looming in the 2026 election, Cassidy is balancing the expectations of\u2063 his party and the repercussions of\u200d crossing former President Trump, who supports Kennedy. The article highlights the \u2064tensions \u200bwithin the Republican \u200cparty and how Cassidy&#8217;s decisions regarding health policies are closely \u200dwatched \u2062by allies and opponents\u2063 alike,emphasizing the potential political\u2064 consequences \u200dhe faces based on his voting\u2063 record and responses to \u200cKennedy&#8217;s \u2062controversial views on vaccinations.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Conservatives eye key GOP senator&rsquo;s vote on RFK Jr.: &lsquo;We&rsquo;re watching&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1960444\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3305510\/key-gop-senator-slam-rfk-jr-vaccines-sparking-debate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Bill Cassidy&rsquo;s\">Bill Cassidy&rsquo;s<\/a> (R-LA) fight for his political future has already arrived at his doorstep.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>His reservations about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3306315\/republican-trio-who-could-help-sink-rfk-jr-hhs-nomination\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/a> running the <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-health-and-human-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Department of Health and Human Services<\/a> over the nominee&rsquo;s vaccine skepticism, a confirmation vote he&rsquo;s &ldquo;struggling&rdquo; to reconcile with, has conservative critics and his Republican challenger awaiting his next move.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The people of Louisiana, as well as I, are watching the RFK hearings and votes,&rdquo; Louisiana State Treasurer and former Rep. John Fleming, who launched a campaign against Cassidy in December 2024, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> in a phone interview. &ldquo;We strongly side with President Trump in his choice of nominees, both in this situation with Health and Human Services and, really, all of the nominees.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Fleming is not the only one waiting in the wings, even as the warnings of retribution from Donald Trump and MAGAworld for those who cross the president have others in the GOP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3267229\/republicans-fret-primary-challenges-bucking-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">fearing it could undermine&nbsp;their agenda<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A chapter of the Louisiana Republican Assembly, GOP organizer and strategist <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ScottPresler\/status\/1884677707461521793\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Scott Presler<\/a>, and even a member of Cassidy&rsquo;s congressional delegation are putting the heat on him to confirm Kennedy as the nation&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-stefanik-grills-becerra-on-child-mask-mandate-biden-administration-woefully-out-of-touch\/\" title=\"Watch \u2014 Stefanik Grills Becerra on Child Mask Mandate: Biden Administration \u2018Woefully out of Touch\u2019\">chief health official<\/a> or face swift reprisal in his 2026 reelection campaign. Trump, whom Cassidy and Fleming are lobbying for an endorsement, will also undoubtedly be watching.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;RFK is going to run HHS whether you like it or not,&rdquo; Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) posted. &ldquo;The Senate is ours, and the moment Trump decides he&rsquo;s had enough of random senators delaying our mission. JD [Vance] is walking in and taking the gavel as president of the Senate. There&rsquo;s zero you can do about that. We the People will not be stopped. We&rsquo;re saving the country and RFK is part of the formula. So, vote your conscience senator, or don&rsquo;t.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Either way, we&rsquo;re watching,&rdquo; added Higgins, a member of the House Freedom Caucus.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming waves as he is introduced during the swearing-in of the Louisiana state legislature on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (AP Photo\/Gerald Herbert, Pool)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The possible political consequences for Cassidy are far greater than for the three Republicans who rebelled against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.<\/p>\n<p>The largest threat facing Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is a competitive Democratic rival. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is not up for reelection, and it is expected that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will not seek reelection. All three opposed Hegseth.<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, extended Kennedy multiple lifelines to retract unproven claims that some vaccines could cause autism during last week&rsquo;s three-hour confirmation hearing before the panel. Kennedy refused to go there. He insisted the science was unsettled and would not promote trust or confidence in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-republican-trio-who-could-help-sink-rfk-jr-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"The Republican trio who could help sink ... - Washington Examiner\">childhood vaccine mandates<\/a> that have been around for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/history-disease-outbreaks-vaccine-timeline\/requirements-research\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more than a century<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I recognize, man, if you come out unequivocally, &lsquo;Vaccines are safe &mdash; it does not cause autism,&rsquo; it would have an incredible impact,&rdquo; said Cassidy, a physician. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s your power. So, what&rsquo;s it going to be? Will it be using the credibility to support [vaccines] or will it be using credibility to undermine? I&rsquo;ve got to figure that out for my vote.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy made repeated offers to recant his claims, &ldquo;If you show me the science that says I&rsquo;m wrong.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing that would make me happier,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., right, President Donald Trump&rsquo;s nominee for secretary of health and human services, talks with Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA), left, following his testimony during a committee hearing for his pending confirmation on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo\/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fleming urged Cassidy to &ldquo;bring it down to a reasonable level and not be attacking the guy and just go ahead and vote for him.&rdquo; He supports Kennedy and the rest of Trump&rsquo;s other nominees.<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy has so far voted to confirm all of Trump&rsquo;s Cabinet choices that have come before the upper chamber. <\/p>\n<p>Fleming, who is also a physician, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">echoed vaccine positions similar<\/a> to Kennedy. He opposes mandates and expressed concerns about adverse side effects but offered greater acknowledgment of the life-saving benefits.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s just a lot of difference of opinion between Cassidy and some others and RFK Jr. as to whether there&rsquo;s been enough studies done to ensure that we know everything about them and that they&rsquo;re safe enough,&rdquo; Fleming said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really more of an opinion about that than anything.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Cassidy campaign did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Cassidy&rsquo;s position on Kennedy may be less of a campaign issue for critics such as Fleming, who said the second-term senator&rsquo;s &ldquo;cardinal sin&rdquo; was voting to convict Trump in his impeachment trial following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. It was a vote that notably came after Trump endorsed Cassidy in his 2020 reelection.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think really the true benchmark here is Cassidy&rsquo;s vote to convict,&rdquo; Fleming said. &ldquo;There are many other things people are not happy with Cassidy about, but that is the overarching, looming issue.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1960444\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1960444\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Conservatives are closely monitoring Sen. Bill Cassidy&#8217;s stance on RFK Jr.&#8217;s nomination due to his vaccine skepticism<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2397923,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/bill-cassidy-rfk-jr.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4539,5894,32458,3740],"class_list":["post-2397922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-conservatives","tag-politics","tag-rfk-jr","tag-senate"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/bill-cassidy-rfk-jr.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2397922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2397922"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2397922\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2397926,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2397922\/revisions\/2397926"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2397923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2397922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2397922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2397922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}