Senator Clashes With Trump Over Iran War, Health Care, and Vaccines

A Republican senator from Louisiana got into a shouting match with President Trump and then spoke out about war, health care, and honesty in government. Senator Bill Cassidy, who is finishing his last months in the Senate, voted against the president's decision to start a war with Iran without asking Congress first. The two men argued loudly during a meeting on Capitol Hill, but Cassidy said he later had a positive phone call with Trump. The clash happened four months after the United States began military strikes against Iran.

Cassidy described the Capitol Hill meeting as very tense. He said Trump was scolding the four Republican senators who voted against the war. Cassidy raised his hand, asked if Trump truly wanted to know their reasons, and when Trump said yes, Cassidy stood up and explained his concerns. 'He began to speak over me,' Cassidy said. 'Unfortunately, I raised my volume to match his.' The senator admitted he should not have lost his temper, but said he needed answers to serve his state and country.

After the meeting, Cassidy got a private briefing in the White House Situation Room with Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Following that briefing, Cassidy voted in favor of a second measure supporting the president's war effort. He said the briefing helped him get information he needed, even if the shouting match was not the best way to get there.

Cassidy raised serious concerns about the cost of the Iran war. He said the United States has spent $29 billion and lost 13 American lives. He warned that if a peace agreement is reached, Congress should vote on it since it could count as a formal treaty. He said Iran was being seen as fighting the world's most powerful nation to a draw, which he called a serious problem for American credibility.

On health care, Cassidy said making life more affordable should be the top priority for the country. He described a plan that would give a family of four up to $2,000 to help pay for medical costs directly, rather than sending money to insurance companies. He is also pushing for price transparency so families can compare the cost of doctor visits the same way they shop online. 'Wouldn't it be great if a mom could say, Hey Siri, where is the most affordable urgent care center near me?' he said.

Cassidy spoke strongly about vaccines and public health, criticizing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He said Kennedy broke promises made to him and has spread false information about vaccines. President Trump has also linked vaccines to autism on social media, which Cassidy — a medical doctor — said is simply wrong. 'If you build public health upon a foundation of lies, then you're going to have the absence of adequate public health,' he said.

The senator pointed to real consequences of falling vaccination rates across the country. He noted there is not a single county in Louisiana where kindergarten vaccination rates are high enough to stop measles from spreading. Thousands of children have already gotten measles, some were hospitalized, and some have died. Cassidy blamed anti-vaccine messages from public officials for making parents less likely to protect their children.

Cassidy also raised concerns about a top intelligence official named Bill Pulte, serving temporarily as Director of National Intelligence. He said Pulte used private mortgage data from a federal housing agency to target a political opponent of the president, which Cassidy called disqualifying behavior. 'You should not be using the force of government to crash upon somebody just because the person in charge does not like them,' he said. He added that Democrats are blocking a key surveillance program called FISA until the matter is resolved.

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia spoke from Brussels, where he was meeting with NATO allies. He said he voted against the defense budget for the first time in 13 years because he disagreed with a huge proposed spending increase during what he called an illegal war. He also worried about respected military generals being pushed out of their jobs by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying there is a risk that honest advisers are being replaced by people who simply agree with those in power.

CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford explained several recent Supreme Court rulings. The court decided that the president — not the courts — can cancel a program called Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, which protects people from dangerous countries from being deported. As many as 1.5 million people could now face deportation. The court also ruled that people must be on U.S. soil to apply for asylum, and Crawford said both decisions show the court believes that elections and the laws Congress passes have real consequences.