Bill Cassidy

Bill Cassidy
Born	William Morgan Cassidy 28 9, 1957
Birthplace	Highland Park, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, physician
Known for	Senior U.S. Senator from Louisiana; Chair of the Senate HELP Committee
Education	Louisiana State University (BS, MD)
Children	3
Website	[https://www.cassidy.senate.gov Official site]

William Morgan Cassidy (born September 28, 1957) is an American politician and physician serving as the senior United States senator from Louisiana since January 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Cassidy has built a career that spans medicine and public service, beginning with his work as a gastroenterologist in Baton Rouge and evolving into a consequential legislative career in Washington, D.C. Before entering the U.S. Senate, he represented Louisiana's 6th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2009 to 2015 and served in the Louisiana State Senate from 2006 to 2009. A graduate of Louisiana State University and the LSU School of Medicine, Cassidy has focused much of his legislative work on healthcare policy, energy legislation, and flood insurance reform. Since January 2025, he has served as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, succeeding Bernie Sanders. Cassidy has drawn attention for his independent streak within the Republican caucus, including his 2021 vote to convict former President Donald Trump during Trump's second impeachment trial, which led the Republican Party of Louisiana to censure him. His willingness to break with party leadership on key issues has made him a prominent figure in intraparty debates over the direction of the Republican Party.

Early Life

William Morgan Cassidy was born on September 28, 1957, in Highland Park, Illinois, a suburb north of Chicago. His father, James F. Cassidy, was raised in the Chicago area. The Cassidy family eventually relocated to Louisiana, where Bill Cassidy would spend the majority of his life and build his professional and political career.

Cassidy attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree. He continued his education at the LSU School of Medicine, earning his Doctor of Medicine degree. His medical training led him to specialize in gastroenterology, and he went on to practice medicine in Baton Rouge for many years. During his medical career, Cassidy was associated with efforts to expand healthcare access to uninsured residents in the Baton Rouge area. He helped establish a clinic at the Earl K. Long Medical Center that provided free screenings and vaccinations to patients who otherwise lacked access to preventive care.

Before entering politics as a Republican, Cassidy was formerly affiliated with the Democratic Party. His switch in party affiliation reflected a broader trend among conservative Southern politicians during the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Education

Cassidy earned both his undergraduate and medical degrees from Louisiana State University. He received his Bachelor of Science from LSU's main campus in Baton Rouge and subsequently attended the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans, where he obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree. After completing his medical training, Cassidy specialized in gastroenterology and became a practicing physician in the Baton Rouge area. He also held a faculty position at LSU's medical school, where he was involved in teaching and clinical research. His medical background would later inform much of his legislative work, particularly on healthcare policy and public health issues.

Career

Medical Career

Before entering elected office, Cassidy practiced as a gastroenterologist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was involved in community health initiatives, including efforts to provide hepatitis B vaccinations and screenings to underserved populations. Cassidy worked to establish community health programs that offered preventive care to uninsured residents in the greater Baton Rouge area. His medical work gave him firsthand experience with the challenges facing the American healthcare system, including issues of access, cost, and the administrative burdens placed on physicians — themes that would become central to his political career.

Louisiana State Senate (2006–2009)

In 2006, Cassidy was elected to the Louisiana State Senate, representing the 16th district, which encompassed parts of Baton Rouge. He succeeded Jay Dardenne, who had vacated the seat. During his time in the state legislature, Cassidy focused on healthcare and education issues. His tenure in the Louisiana State Senate was relatively brief, as he launched a campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008. He was succeeded in the state senate by Dan Claitor.

U.S. House of Representatives (2009–2015)

In 2008, Cassidy ran for Louisiana's 6th congressional district and defeated Democratic incumbent Don Cazayoux. The race drew national attention as the district had been considered competitive following Cazayoux's special election victory earlier that year. Cassidy won the seat and took office in January 2009.

In the House, Cassidy served on several committees and joined multiple caucuses. He was a vocal critic of the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare), arguing that the law imposed excessive costs on patients and providers and would reduce the quality of care available to Americans.

Energy and Environmental Policy

As a representative of a Louisiana congressional district, Cassidy was deeply involved in energy policy and the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010. He engaged in debates over BP's handling of compensation for affected Gulf Coast residents and businesses, and he sparred with political opponents over the distribution of BP settlement funds. Cassidy advocated for expanded offshore oil and gas exploration, arguing that energy production was critical to Louisiana's economy and to national energy independence. In 2014, the U.S. House passed legislation that Cassidy supported to expand offshore drilling access.

Flood Insurance Reform

Cassidy was an active participant in the debate over the National Flood Insurance Program, a critical issue for Louisiana given the state's vulnerability to hurricanes and flooding. He supported legislative efforts to reform the program and make flood insurance more affordable for homeowners in flood-prone areas. In 2014, he worked on legislation aimed at addressing premium increases under the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act, which had caused sharp rate hikes for many Louisiana property owners.

Healthcare Legislation

Drawing on his background as a physician, Cassidy introduced and co-sponsored several healthcare-related bills during his time in the House. In 2013, he joined with Senators Tom Carper and Lisa Murkowski and Representative Ron Kind to introduce legislation designed to reduce healthcare costs and improve outcomes for patients with chronic diseases. The Congressional Budget Office provided analyses of several healthcare bills Cassidy was associated with during this period.

Cassidy won reelection to the House in 2010 and 2012 with comfortable margins. In the 2010 election, he faced little competitive opposition. In 2012, he again won reelection decisively.

U.S. Senate (2015–present)

2014 Senate Election

In 2014, Cassidy ran for the U.S. Senate against three-term Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu. The race was one of the most closely watched Senate contests of the 2014 election cycle. Under Louisiana's unique jungle primary system, neither candidate received a majority on Election Day, forcing a runoff election in December 2014. Cassidy defeated Landrieu in the runoff, winning by a wide margin and becoming the senior senator from Louisiana upon taking office in January 2015.

2020 Reelection

Cassidy was reelected to the Senate in 2020, securing a second six-year term.

Healthcare Policy in the Senate

Healthcare has remained a central focus of Cassidy's Senate career. He co-authored several healthcare reform proposals, including bipartisan efforts to address the Affordable Care Act and stabilize insurance markets. His medical expertise has positioned him as one of the Senate's most active members on health-related legislation.

In January 2023, Cassidy became the ranking member of the Senate HELP Committee, succeeding Richard Burr. When Republicans regained control of the committee in January 2025, Cassidy assumed the chairmanship, succeeding Bernie Sanders.

As HELP Committee chair, Cassidy has undertaken a review of federal health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration. In February 2026, he released a blueprint for modernizing the FDA, arguing that the agency's regulatory processes needed reform to better facilitate the development and approval of new treatments. "Discoveries that never leave the lab help no one," Cassidy stated in outlining his proposal.

Oversight of RFK Jr. and the MAHA Movement

Cassidy's chairmanship of the HELP Committee has placed him at the center of a high-profile dispute with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration. Cassidy has sought to exercise congressional oversight over Kennedy's management of federal health agencies, including inviting Kennedy to testify before the committee. As of February 2026, more than five months after Cassidy's initial invitation, Kennedy had not appeared before the committee for an oversight hearing.

Cassidy's questioning of Kennedy's positions on vaccines and public health has drawn opposition from supporters of the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement, a political faction aligned with Kennedy. Devotees of the MAHA movement have stated their intention to oppose Cassidy's reelection, viewing his oversight activities as hostile to Kennedy's agenda. Reporting from Talking Points Memo characterized the conflict as a significant intraparty battle, noting that Cassidy "has never quite fit in with the ever-growing contingent of MAGA lawmakers on Capitol Hill who show blind loyalty" to the Trump administration.

Relationship with Donald Trump

Cassidy's relationship with former and current President Donald Trump has been marked by periods of significant tension. In February 2021, during Trump's second impeachment trial in the Senate, Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump on the charge of incitement of insurrection following the January 6 Capitol attack. The vote prompted the Republican Party of Louisiana to censure Cassidy.

In 2023, after Trump was indicted on federal charges related to the mishandling of classified documents, Cassidy publicly called for Trump to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. After Trump secured the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election, Cassidy declined to endorse him in the general election.

The tensions have continued into the current term. In January 2026, Trump endorsed Representative Julia Letlow as a potential primary challenger to Cassidy in the Louisiana Senate race, signaling the former president's desire to unseat the incumbent senator.

Minneapolis Shooting Response

In January 2026, Cassidy publicly broke with the Trump administration following a fatal shooting by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cassidy described the events as "incredibly disturbing" and stated that "the credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake," calling for a full joint federal and state investigation into the incident. The incident further underscored Cassidy's willingness to challenge the administration on matters he viewed as involving government accountability, a stance that has set him apart from many of his Republican colleagues.

Personal Life

Cassidy resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He has three children. Before entering politics, he was formerly a member of the Democratic Party before switching his affiliation to the Republican Party. His father, James F. Cassidy, died in Baton Rouge.

Cassidy has maintained his identity as a physician throughout his political career, frequently referencing his medical background in legislative debates and using his clinical experience to inform his positions on healthcare policy. He has served alongside Senator John Kennedy as one of Louisiana's two U.S. senators since Kennedy took office in January 2017.

Recognition

Cassidy's vote to convict Donald Trump during the second impeachment trial in 2021 drew both praise and criticism. While the Republican Party of Louisiana formally censured him for the vote, some political commentators and editorial boards commended his willingness to vote according to his stated interpretation of the evidence rather than along party lines.

As chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Cassidy has been recognized as one of the most influential senators on healthcare policy in the 119th Congress. His work on FDA modernization and his efforts to conduct oversight of the Department of Health and Human Services under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have attracted significant national media coverage.

His bipartisan legislative efforts, including his work with Democratic and Republican colleagues on healthcare cost reduction and flood insurance reform, have contributed to his reputation as a senator who works across party lines on specific policy issues, even as he has remained a reliable conservative vote on many other matters.

Legacy

Cassidy's political career has been defined by the intersection of his medical expertise and his legislative work. As one of the few physicians serving in the U.S. Senate, he has brought a clinical perspective to debates over healthcare reform, drug approval processes, and public health preparedness that few of his colleagues can replicate.

His willingness to break with his party on high-profile votes — most notably his 2021 impeachment conviction vote and his refusal to endorse Trump in 2024 — has placed him in a distinctive position within the Republican Party. While these stances have earned him the opposition of Trump and elements of the party's base, they have also given him a degree of political independence that has allowed him to pursue oversight activities, such as his scrutiny of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s management of federal health agencies, that other Republican senators have been reluctant to undertake.

The Trump administration's endorsement of a potential primary challenger in 2026 has made Cassidy's next election cycle a test case for whether Republican senators who have broken with Trump can survive within the party's current political environment. The outcome of that contest may have implications beyond Louisiana, signaling the degree to which independence from presidential leadership is tolerated within the modern Republican Party.