Good Monday evening. In this edition: Trump signs executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccines.
Plus, Blanche, Biden and Scharf.
Vaccines
President Trump signed an executive order calling for an overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule, including changes to recommendations and efforts to space out some vaccines across separate medical visits, suggesting that the existing regimen could be "quite lethal" to children.
"This updated recommendation finally aligns the United States with other advanced and developed nations around the world," he said in the Oval Office. "More importantly, it aligns us with common sense and knowledge."
Under the new guidance, vaccines against 11 diseases — including measles, mumps, rubella, polio and whooping cough — would be recommended for all children, rather than the 17 currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Vaccines against several other diseases — including hepatitis A and B and meningococcal disease — would be recommended for certain high-risk groups or through shared decision-making between parents and health care providers.
Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines would fall into the shared decision-making category.
The order also recommends separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different shots administered during separate visits. Separate vaccines for those diseases are not currently available in the U.S.
"Together, there could be a possibility they're quite lethal, and separately, it looks like they are not at all lethal, but just very effective," President Trump said. "The MMR, we want to have separate visits, separate times."
President Trump said his order was motivated in part by concerns over whether vaccines were tied to autism despite years of scientific evidence showing there's no link.
"Decades ago, children received only a small fraction of the vaccines required today," he said. "In those times, people were much healthier and of course, the high rates of autism now observed did not exist. So, there's a reason for such epidemic rates of autism, and we're going to bring it back to much closer to where it was."
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, said the federal government's Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health is "preparing a major new initiative focused on foundational causes and biology of autism."
"We will examine every biologically plausible hypothesis and leave no legitimate, scientific question unexplored," he said alongside the president.
"Mr. President, you have told us that you want answers, so do I. We have just over two years to finish the work and I know you're impatient. And we are moving with an urgency that that deadline demands. We will bring you actions and findings as soon as they are ready."
Health officials, Democrats and some Republicans have castigated the president's long-running efforts to change how vaccines are administered in the U.S., including Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who decried the new executive order.
"I'm a doctor. This executive order is wrong. The President does not have the expertise to make these changes. Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines DO NOT cause autism," the outgoing senator said on social media.
"Breaking up vaccines will mean children have to get more shots to get the same protection, not fewer shots. It will increase hesitancy and make children less safe. Parents should listen to their child's pediatrician about vaccines rather than listening to an inaccurate executive order. This is so wrong."
It's unclear what legal effect the new executive order will have. Vaccine recommendations are made by a committee of experts who advise the CDC and are then adopted by the health agency's director.
Only states can require vaccinations for children to attend school or day care, and the order calls on states to update their requirements to mirror the new guidance.
The administration's previous attempt to modify the vaccine schedule was blocked by a federal court in March as part of a lawsuit brought by a group of medical organizations that argued the administration did not follow proper procedure and made "arbitrary and capricious" decisions.
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In other news…
Todd Blanche was sworn in as the nation's 88th attorney general, putting President Trump's former personal attorney at the helm of the Justice Department. Senators narrowly confirmed him early Saturday morning in a 50–49 vote before leaving town for the summer recess. Republican Sens. Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) joined all Democrats in opposition. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) announced his support Friday, providing the 50th vote needed for confirmation. The Senate also voted 90–6 to approve a stopgap to extend government funding at current levels through Dec. 11. Senators did not vote on a college sports bill related to name, image and likeness (NIL) rules and labor rights, nor the CLARITY Act, a cryptocurrency market structure bill.
Former President Biden's prostate cancer has spread to other parts of his body and is causing him pain, his son Hunter Biden said in an interview with BBC News. "The cancer has spread, is metastasized into his bones, and further, it's very painful, and it's very debilitating in many respects," he said of his father. "But he's still out there. He's still doing his thing." The former president revealed his cancer diagnosis last May, less than four months after he left office. "It's really sad to watch," the younger Biden said. "The only thing that I'd say about my dad, about his health right now, is I wish he would complain more, because it's not good."
Will Scharf, who has served as President Trump's staff secretary since the start of his second term, was named the next White House counsel, replacing David Warrington effective Sept. 1 as the White House's top legal adviser. Like Mr. Warrington, who is leaving the administration for a job in the private sector, Mr. Scharf previously served as the president's personal lawyer. "I know Will well! He previously represented me in numerous cases, including at the Supreme Court, during the Biden Administration's corrupt and illegal campaign of Weaponization," the president wrote on social media Sunday. "Will is Tough, Strong, and Smart! He also loves our Country, and respects the Law. Will Scharf will do a great job as White House Counsel!"
For your radar…
Word for Word will be taking some time off with both chambers of Congress in summer recess. The House is set to return for four days on Aug. 31 before another week off. Both chambers will next be in session on Sept. 14. We will publish as news warrants.
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