Republican senator faults Trump vaccine policy for US measles deaths as panel weighs health nominees

Cassidy has been increasingly critical of Kennedy's efforts to overhaul U.S. vaccine policy despite casting the deciding vote confirming the health secretary to the post with full knowledge of Kennedy's history of public anti-vaccine activism.

Cassidy lost his Republican primary in May, after Trump targeted him for retribution over his 2021 vote to convict at Trump's second impeachment trial, and has since grown more openly defiant.

"By the way, CDC apparently is working on a definition of death by measles. Someone said we haven't had to work on that for decades because no one has died from measles, and now we have people dying from measles. That's going to be a terrible legacy for this administration," Cassidy said.

Cassidy praised Klomp and cited his experience as chief counselor at HHS and director of the Center for Medicare. He credited Westlake with helping pass his Halt Fentanyl Act and said he looked forward to working with him on mental health reforms.