Senator Marshall: We Need to Focus on Disease Prevention, Not Just Treatment
Senator Marshall Joins CBS News to Discuss Vaccines, the CDC, and the One Big Beautiful Bill
Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Major Garrett on CBS News’ The Takeout to discuss the change of leadership at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the importance of vaccines for public health, and the President’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
On the leadership shakeups at the CDC:
“Well, look, I believe that President Trump selected Bobby Kennedy Jr to be his HHS director is because he’s a disruptor. And he wants us to address the true health issues in this country. Look, 60% of Americans have a chronic disease. The CDC is for chronic disease prevention. So we need to have more focus on prevention. Dr. Monerez was obviously not following that mission; she had other priorities. So I think what we’re seeing is a big change here in the CDC, and again, I hope that they get focused on helping us to prevent these chronic diseases, which are harming Americans.”
On the friction between the focus on vaccines and treating chronic disease at the CDC:
“I think we need to stay focused here on the big picture that she was not cooperating with the mission, and I think part of that mission is being more transparent. You may know that I’m an OBGYN, delivered 5000 babies. I’m not sure that every baby at one day of age needs a hepatitis vaccine, which is what she’s pushing for right now. Along with not every child needs a Covid vaccine as well.
“So I think that she was not willing to tolerate some of this willingness to cooperate and to share with parents what the information that they’re looking for. So I’m sorry it didn’t work out. I made a mistake. I voted to confirm her, but she was not going along with the bigger mission here. And again, I think we need to shift the CDC away from just a vaccine clinic, but turning it into a true clinic that’s focused on preventing chronic diseases.”
On the changes to Florida’s vaccine policy and the importance of vaccinations for public health:
“Yeah, that may be a bridge too far for me personally. Look, the vaccines have saved, no doubt, millions of lives. So you think about smallpox, polio, just for starters. And some babies do need a hepatitis B vaccine, but not everyone.
“I think the challenge here, though, is one of the issues that Secretary Kennedy is trying to address is that the CDC has lost its reputation. The CDC lied to us about COVID, about the COVID vaccinations in particular. So now we don’t have confidence in them, and here’s a state that’s probably overreacting as well. I want to do everything we can to preserve and make sacred that patient-physician relationship, and I want parents to have input, and I think that’s the job of the CDC is to make sure that the patients have everything that they need there to make that good decision for their children.
“But 76 jabs is too many right now, the CDC is recommending 76 jabs before the baby is old enough to vote. I think that’s just a little bit over the top. Somewhere in between. There’s got to be a sweet spot.”
On the vaccines for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella:
“I am too. I think that’s one of the good ones that’s been around; it’s stood the test of time. I would encourage everyone to get that particular one. But again, I think we need to just be more selective again, 76 is just too many. 18 jabs in the first 18 months, I’m concerned about the interaction between those vaccinations. How is that impacting the development of that baby’s immune system? And I think that’s what we need the CDC and NIH to be researching.”
On the Epstein files being released:
“I want all the papers to be released. I want the truth to be told. Look, this is very important. Look, these young ladies were sexually abused. They were raped. I want every person that was involved with that to be held accountable, thrown in jail, all those types of things… as a father, as a grandfather, I want to make sure that everybody in that is held accountable.”
“You know, I’m not over on the House side. I want to give them over fully prescriptive advice. I am definitely in favor, though, of releasing all the information about it. And I think that’s what we see Jamie Comer over there, the Chairperson of that particular committee… is doing.”
On the President’s One Big Beautiful Bill potential rebranding:
“Maybe we should ask Cracker Barrel about that. Right about rebranding. Look, the One Big, Beautiful Bill is now a law. I think we should be focused on that this is the largest tax cut in American history. This is the largest spending cut in American history as well. This is a great bill for small businesses, a great bill for hard-working Americans as well. I think that the bill stands on its own two feet.
“And what’s really going to matter a year from now is what the economy is doing. And is this bill doing what we said it’s going to do? I think it’ll mean $1,000 a month in the American pocketbooks, when it all comes to fruition.”
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Contact: Payton Fuller
