Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La), Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing off in a heated primary, with his opponent, Rep. Julia Letlow (R), accusing him of being hostile to the Make America Healthy Again agenda. During a hearing on vaccines, Cassidy questioned Kennedy's nominee to lead the CDC, Erica Schwartz, regarding his ability to make decisions without needing approval from Kennedy's political appointees. He also criticized Kennedy for not doing enough to restrict access to abortion pills, and for failing to act with greater urgency on reinstating the in-person dispensing requirement. Newly filed lobbying disclosures reveal that some of the largest health care trade groups in Washington have continued to budget historic sums for lobbying, with AHIP spending $5.3 million in the first three months of 2026, its highest tally for any quarter on record. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America spent $12.2 million, the second-highest quarter for the trade association.