HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before Senate Finance on Thursday morning. You should be watching how Sen. Bill Cassidy questions him.
Cassidy is walking a fine line amid a tumultuous relationship with President Donald Trump. If Cassidy, a doctor, openly clashes with Kennedy, who recently pushed out a panel of vaccine experts and ousted the head of the CDC, that could imperil the Louisiana Republican’s reelection hopes — which hinge on maintaining Trump’s favor.
Cassidy voted to convict Trump in 2021 over Jan. 6 and has been largely cast aside by the Republican base since. But as 2026 comes into focus, Cassidy has stood firmly by the White House, highlighting his support for the president’s nominees.
Senate Republicans have privately urged the president to endorse Cassidy. They see him as a diligent legislator and a team player.
It’s unlikely Trump will publicly support someone who voted to impeach him. But five Republicans granted anonymity to speak candidly told POLITICO it’s a real possibility that Trump could choose to remain silent.
“Of course I prefer his endorsement but if it’s not an endorsement, neutral is probably the next best thing,” Cassidy said.
Who else we’re watching in Thursday’s hearing: Republicans who no longer need a future Trump endorsement, notably Sen. Thom Tillis. The North Carolina lawmaker, who voted against Trump’s megabill after announcing his retirement, could be more confrontational about the firing of Susan Monarez just a month after her confirmation.
“You worked with this CDC director for some number of months, then you decided to put her forth for confirmation, and then you fired her four weeks later. Why would we put a priority on replacing her if you determined within four weeks you made a bad decision after months of actually seeing her at work?” Tillis told reporters Wednesday. “That’s a question I have for him.”
What else we’re watching:
— CR updates: Appropriations Chairs Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) now want to pass three full-year bills funding the Department of Agriculture and the legislative branch plus military facility funding and veterans’ programs, plus a short-term continuing resolution for the nine remaining bills. Top Democratic appropriators like Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state came out in support of the plan endorsed by Cole and Collins — as long as it’s bipartisan.
— Miran in the hot seat: Senate Banking will consider Stephen Miran for a vacancy on the Federal Reserve board in a confirmation hearing Thursday. Expect intense debate over Trump’s decision to fire Fed Gov. Lisa Cook, though Tillis — who is a pivotal swing vote and has said he would not consider a replacement for Cook until after her firing is litigated in court — told POLITICO on Wednesday he is a “lean yes” on Miran.
— Codel heads to the border: A bipartisan delegation of Problem Solvers Caucus members is heading to GOP Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s Arizona district Thursday to tour the U.S.-Mexico border with Customs and Border Patrol, according to a person familiar with the plans. The group, led by Ciscomani and Democratic Rep. Jimmy Panetta of California, includes Democratic Reps. Tom Suozzi (N.Y.) and Jim Costa (Calif.) and GOP Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Chuck Edwards (N.C.).
Jordain Carney, Benjamin Guggenheim, Calen Razor and Jasper Goodman contributed to this report.
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