[Pages S569-S570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Nomination of Douglas Collins

  Mr. President, on another matter, today, the Senate is going to 
confirm former Congressman Doug Collins. Congressman Collins is the 
nominee to be the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
  Caring for our veterans is a top priority for President Trump and 
Republicans. As Abraham Lincoln famously said, our Nation has a duty to 
``care for him who shall have born the battle.'' That is why I am glad 
that President Trump has nominated Congressman Collins. Congressman 
Collins knows what it means to be a veteran because he is a veteran, as 
are you, Mr. President. He deployed to Iraq as a military chaplain. He 
visited wounded servicemembers in the hospital. He prayed for them. He 
comforted them.
  In Congress, Congressman Collins continued to serve our veterans. He 
received bipartisan support from the Senate Veterans' Affairs 
Committee. The vote was 18 in favor and only 1 opposed. Looking at his 
record, it is obvious why. Congressman Collins will improve veterans' 
access to care, not get in the way.
  He will also address the alarming rate of veterans' suicide and 
homelessness. As he told the committee:

       We will not stop until we succeed on behalf of the men and 
     women who have worn the uniform.

  Congressman Doug Collins will pursue his mission with duty and with 
devotion. He has my full support.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Curtis). The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                  Nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

  Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I would like to make a statement 
regarding my vote in committee on behalf of Robert F. Kennedy to be the 
Secretary of HHS.
  First, I thank everyone who has contacted me over the last few days. 
Almost all have been respectful and seek the best for our country. I 
have been contacted by text, by phone, and by email. If I didn't 
respond to anyone, it was not to be rude; it is just that I was

[[Page S570]]

getting hundreds of messages a day personally and thousands through the 
office, and I just physically could not.
  Believe it or not, of these hundreds of people calling me and 
contacting me however they did, many of them disagree with each other 
diametrically. Three dimensionally, they disagreed. But the unifying 
factor is that they all desire the best for our country, even though 
they differ from each other so much. And maybe that kind of frames my 
feelings about this nomination.
  For context, before entering politics, before ever thinking about 
running for political office, I practiced medicine for 30 years in a 
public hospital for the uninsured, caring for those who otherwise would 
not have been able to afford the access to the care that I provided 
them.
  After seeing patients die from vaccine-preventable diseases, I 
dedicated much of my time to vaccine research and immunization 
programs, personally witnessing the safety monitoring and the 
effectiveness of immunization. Put simply, vaccines save lives.
  This is the context that informed me when considering RFK as the 
nominee to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
  It was a decision I studied exhaustively and I took very seriously. 
And as I said I would, I spoke with Mr. Kennedy not once but multiple 
times over the weekend, including this morning. We had in-depth 
conversations about the medical literature and about the science behind 
the safety of vaccines. He referred me to studies and to people. I 
reviewed them and spoke to those whom he mentioned I should speak to.
  The most notable opponents of Mr. Kennedy were pediatricians on the 
frontlines of our children's health who regularly have to combat 
misinformation, combating vaccine skepticism with correct information--
correct information that comes from their education, their training, 
and experience as physicians. They are aware of the falling vaccine 
rates and the inevitability of increasing hospitalizations and deaths 
of children from vaccine-preventable diseases. They are aware that 
children are now contracting diseases that they would not have 
contracted if the child was vaccinated.
  I heard from others impassioned about the need to address chemicals 
in our food and a belief that we are victims of large impersonal forces 
maximizing profits while sacrificing their health. And there is 
evidence for that. Although, food safety is principally a USDA concern, 
I strongly agree that this is an issue society must address.
  Other RFK supporters are concerned regarding environmental risks. 
They fear these risks are being ignored by authorities. Mr. Kennedy's 
history of environmental activism motivates their support. I pointed 
out that the Environmental Protection Agency monitors this, not the 
Department of Health and Human Services. But they still feel that he 
can make a difference.
  So as I looked how to resolve this, I returned to where I began. 
Would it be possible to have Mr. Kennedy collaborate in helping public 
health agencies re-earn the trust of the American people?
  Regarding vaccines, Mr. Kennedy has been insistent that he just wants 
good science and to ensure safety. But on this topic, the science is 
good. The science is credible. Vaccines save lives. They are safe. They 
do not cause autism. There are multiple studies that show this. They 
are a crucial part of our Nation's public health response.
  But as someone who has discussed immunization with thousands of 
people, I do recognize that many mothers need reassurance that the 
vaccine their child is receiving is necessary, effective, and most of 
all, safe.
  While I am aligned with Mr. Kennedy as regards ultraprocessed food, 
reforming NIH, and taking on chronic disease, once more, it leaves 
vaccines.
  Mr. Kennedy and the administration reached out seeking to reassure me 
regarding their commitment to protecting the public health benefit of 
vaccination. To this end, Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed 
that he and I would have an unprecedentedly close collaborative working 
relationship if he is confirmed. We will meet or speak multiple times a 
month. This collaboration will allow us to work well together and, 
therefore, to be more effective.
  Mr. Kennedy has asked for my input into hiring decisions at HHS 
beyond Senate-confirmed positions. This aspect of the collaboration 
will allow us to represent all sides of those folks who were contacting 
me over this past weekend.
  He has also committed that he would work within current vaccine 
approval and safety monitoring systems and not establish parallel 
systems.
  If confirmed, he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 
recommendations without changes. CDC will not remove statements on 
their website pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism.
  Mr. Kennedy and the administration also committed that this 
administration will not use the subversive techniques used under the 
Biden administration, like sue and settle, to change policies enacted 
by Congress without first going through Congress.
  Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed to a strong role of 
Congress. Aside from he and I meeting regularly, he will come before 
the HELP Committee on a quarterly basis, if requested. He committed 
that the HELP Committee chair, whether it is me or someone else, may 
choose a representative on any board or commission formed to review 
vaccine safety.
  If he is confirmed, HHS will provide a 30-day notice to the HELP 
Committee if the Agency seeks to make changes to any of our Federal 
vaccine safety monitoring programs, and the HELP Committee will have 
the option to call a hearing to further review.
  These commitments, and my expectation that we could have a great 
working relationship to make America healthy again, is the basis of my 
support. He will be the Secretary, but I believe he will also be a 
partner in working for this end.
  If Mr. Kennedy is confirmed, I will use my authority as chairman of 
the Senate committee with oversight of HHS to rebuff any attempts to 
remove the public's access to lifesaving vaccines without ironclad, 
causational, scientific evidence that can be accepted and defended 
before the mainstream scientific community and before Congress.
  I will watch carefully for any effort to wrongfully sow public fear 
about vaccines through confusing references of coincidence and 
anecdote. But my support is built on assurances that this will not have 
to be a concern and that he and I could work together to build an 
agenda to make America healthy again.
  We need a leader at HHS who will guide President Trump's agenda to 
make America healthy again.
  Based on Mr. Kennedy's assurances on vaccines and his platform to 
positively influence Americans' health, it is my consideration that he 
will get this done.
  As I said, it has been a long and tense process. But I have assessed 
it, as I would assess a patient as a physician. Ultimately restoring 
trust in our public health institution is too important, and I think 
Mr. Kennedy can help get that done.
  As chairman of the Senate committee with oversight authority of his 
position, I will do my best to make sure that that is what we 
accomplish.
  I want Mr. Kennedy to succeed in making America healthy again. His 
success will be tied to the health of our Nation. He has the 
opportunity to address the most pertinent issues affecting Americans' 
health.
  We also need to reform institutions like the FDA and NIH, and those, 
as already has been indicated, are my priorities as chairman of the 
HELP Committee. I look forward to his support in accomplishing this. If 
confirmed, I look forward to working together with Mr. Kennedy to 
achieve President Trump's mission of improving the health of all 
Americans.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.