CNN’s Pamela Brown straight up asked Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) Friday if he had “buyer’s remorse” for voting to approve Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services Secretary.

Cassidy, a medical doctor, said last February that he decided to vote in favor of Kennedy after receiving assurances that the nominee would respect the science behind disease-preventing vaccines. Cassidy later denounced Kennedy for reversing course and slashing the childhood vaccine schedule.

“White House officials decided earlier this year that HHS, under Secretary Kennedy, required an overhaul following a tumultuous period marked by controversial vaccine policies, personnel issues, and messaging missteps that hurt the administration with voters and with lawmakers,” Brown said on The Situation Room. “You were the key vote in advancing and effectively sealing Kennedy’s nomination. Do you have any buyer’s remorse now?”

“First, you live life forward,” Cassidy answered, before praising RFK Jr. for “highlighting the issues of ultra-processed food.”

“So he’s to be congratulated,” Cassidy said. “He and I clearly differ on vaccines. I have seen people die from vaccine preventable diseases or have to get a liver transplant or otherwise something terrible or something that could have been avoided with a $15 vaccine. And so obviously, I understand that better than the secretary. And so we’ve differed there, but let’s give him his due. He’s done a good job on the ultra-processed foods, and that’s important for our society.”

Brown pushed Cassidy, “When you look at Kennedy’s tenure so far on the vaccine front, has he broken the promises that ultimately won you over?”

“I think all that speaks for itself,” Cassidy answered. “You can look at what I publicly documented on that floor speech, and you can look at his actions, and they speak for themselves. But again, we live life forward.”

Cassidy then repeated his call for leadership on public health that he made earlier in the interview.

“We need to have leadership at the Surgeon General, at the CDC, at the FDA that are going to support solid science, mainstream science, that has been proven over and over again to save lives,” Cassidy said.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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