The next is the transcript of an interview with Sen. Roger Marshall, Republican of Kansas, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sept. 7, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face the Nation. We flip now to Republican Senator Roger Marshall, who joins us this morning from Wichita, Kansas. Welcome to Face the Nation.
SENATOR ROGER MARSHALL: Margaret, nice to be with you. I do know it’ll be an excellent dialogue.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I do know you had been an OB-GYN in apply for many years earlier than you ran for workplace. This previous week, the HHS Secretary underwent intense questioning from each democratic lawmakers, and a few of your fellow Republicans, who had been additionally medical doctors. Take a pay attention.
((BEGIN VIDEO CLIP))
SENATOR JOHN BARRASSO: Secretary Kennedy, in your affirmation listening to, you promised to uphold the best requirements for vaccines. Since then, I’ve grown deeply involved.
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: I’d say, successfully, we’re denying individuals vaccine.
((END VIDEO CLIP))
MARGARET BRENNAN: That is the Republican Whip, and that’s the Chair of the Committee, Invoice Cassidy. Why do you suppose they’re off base and so they’re involved?
SEN. MARSHALL: Look, President Trump selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be a disrupter to the CDC, and that is precisely what he is doing. He is centered on making the CDC extra clear, to make it extra reliable proper now. Proper now, People do not belief the CDC, so he’s actually turning that place the wrong way up. I respect what my colleagues are saying, however I feel that, you already know, this complete challenge immediately, or in that assembly, was about vaccines. In my humble opinion, not each particular person wants each vaccine. And I do not suppose there’s many youngsters on the market that want 76 jabs by the point they’re sufficiently old to vote. However earlier than you label me a non-vaxxer-person, look, I’ve raised cash for polio vaccinations. The MMR is a good vaccine. It saved hundreds of lives. Vaccines, total, have saved tons of of tens of millions of lives, however not each particular person wants each vaccine. And we simply need to empower dad and mom and the medical doctors to make nice selections.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, I simply need to unpack a couple of stuff you mentioned there, and simply very- as a result of we need to be very cautious on this very heated setting. Whenever you say you have got an issue with trusting the CDC, it was only a few weeks in the past a gunman walked onto the CDC campus in Atlanta and shot the place up. Do you care to reply to that? And do you suppose that we should be cautious after we are discussing the CDC and public well being officers proper now?
SEN. MARSHALL: Effectively, look, after all, I condemn that taking pictures. However the insecurity within the CDC goes again to what the CDC did throughout Covid. They misguided us, possibly lied to us, even, in regards to the origins of Covid, and the best way to deal with it, as properly. And the vaccine, they over-promised what the vaccine might do as properly. In order that’s the place the mistrust is. And now, Bobby Kennedy is in there, attempting to clean-up that mistrust, and attempting to present American dad and mom and grandparents and the medical doctors the suitable data, clear data, to make good selections.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, simply earlier than we discuss different vaccines, particular to Covid, and what you simply mentioned with the CDC; it was- the pandemic was through the Trump administration. It started through the Trump administration, and Operation Warp Velocity was a Presidential Directive by Trump, which a few of your fellow Republicans say he deserves the Nobel Prize for as a result of it stopped the pandemic. So, did you belief the CDC and Operation Warp Velocity underneath President Trump, or are you saying you do not suppose the President deserves the prize for that shot?
SEN. MARSHALL: Look President Trump completely deserves the Nobel prize. That vaccine saved tens of millions of lives —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Okay, however you simply mentioned one thing that sounded very contradictory to that. —
SEN. MARSHALL: I disagree. I feel it is such a distinct time immediately than it was 5 years in the past. 5 years in the past, we had a novel virus. None of us had any immunity to it. It was a wierd virus made in a lab in Wuhan, China. However immediately, on common, People have had Covid 5 occasions. We now have pure immunity to it, and never everyone wants the vaccine. So each issues might be true, and that is why, when you have got individuals who do not perceive science, that do not perceive medication, why they do not get it. It was a distinct day then than it’s immediately.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, however individuals do perceive that once they go into their pharmacy and have an issue getting a shot. As a result of in lots of states, they’re now instructed they want to return and get a prescription, that the impact, right here, of the Kennedy insurance policies are making it tougher, even when they fall into classes the place they need to be capable of get a shot. You’d acknowledge that?
SEN. MARSHALL: Yeah. Yeah, I feel you make this fashion, approach too sophisticated. That- look, vaccines are a medication, and similar to you want a prescription to get a GLP-1 —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Proper. You mentioned he is disrupting. However, successfully, what you had been listening to the Republican Whip John Barrasso, and the Republican Senator Invoice Cassidy discuss was the interruption of the supply of vaccine. Cassidy mentioned, I’d say, successfully, we’re denying individuals vaccines. That is not Margaret Brennan, that is Invoice Cassidy.
SEN. MARSHALL: Look, I disagree, respectfully disagree. Take into consideration this, what the CDC is now saying is in the event you’re over the age of 65, you’ll be able to have the vaccine. It is attention-grabbing that the UK and France have set 75 and 80 because the age. So, all it’s worthwhile to do is e-mail or name your physician’s nurse and get a prescription, and it’s best to be capable of get it. For those who’re over the age of 6 months, it is in all probability a good suggestion to speak to your physician. And all of your nurse has to do is have a look at the chart and say, oh, little Johnny’s obtained bronchial asthma, undoubtedly wants the vaccination as properly. So I feel we’re making this fashion too sophisticated. Why does everyone lose their minds on the subject of Covid vaccine? Why cannot we let the physician and the dad and mom determine? Let the sufferers determine. There’s so many extra necessary issues on the market we ought to be speaking about: Power illnesses, 20% of our adolescents have weight problems, psychological well being issues in- and are on prescribed drugs. There’s so many extra issues to speak about than simply Covid vaccines.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No, however I feel we’re conflating a couple of issues, together with the operational side of this. I feel individuals get annoyed with their insurance coverage corporations. I feel individuals get annoyed with their pharmacies and the implementation of well being coverage. And you already know that that is extra sophisticated than simply saying we’re altering a couple of issues right here. There are huge implications, and I need to discuss to you about it since you mentioned you just like the MMR vaccine. You want DPT, Polio, Smallpox. You do not like Hepatitis B, which is a liver an infection, and you do not suppose new child children should be vaccinated towards it. Senator Cassidy, who’s a liver physician, mentioned he handled poor and underserved sufferers and that it may be a life-altering situation for the remainder of your life. So why is not it a compelling argument to you, that this ought to be obtainable?
SEN. MARSHALL: I delivered a baby- delivered a child each day for 25 years. We did a Hepatitis take a look at on each one in every of my sufferers on the time of supply. If that mother has a detrimental Hepatitis take a look at, she’s in a steady, monogamous relationship, she’s not doing IV medication, she’s not letting her child play in a sandbox stuffed with used needles, then there’s zero probability that that child’s going to have Hepatitis. Now, there’s different mothers that- or different infants that do want it, okay. We should be extra particular. We won’t be overly-prescriptive. If that mother has not had prenatal care, if she’s an IV drug-abuser, if she’s not in a steady relationship, a complete lot of causes, however we have to pick-and-choose. Not each child wants Hepatitis vaccine, and particularly on day primary. What are these vaccines doing to mess with the immune system of that individual child as properly? So, that is my concern. It is not each child wants Hepatitis-B vaccine.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And I perceive it can be unfold from- in a family sharing toothbrushes or razors or, for instance, if her companion was not monogamous, the pregnant girl, for instance. However I hear your level right here that you really want this to be extra bespoke, like, extra picking-and-choosing. However others would argue, right here, that in doing that, you are going to drive down immunization charges total, in the event you create broader doubt in vaccines, and that it is a slippery slope, right here. Are you in any respect involved that that’s going to be the takeaway?
SEN. MARSHALL: Look, Anthony Fauci did extra to create vaccine hesitancy than Bobby Kennedy will do in his 4 years, or eight years, nonetheless lengthy he has Secretary. That is the place the issue is. So, do not blame Bobby Kennedy for the issues created by Anthony Fauci. However this- however I am simply telling —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — I am asking you about what you mentioned in regards to the Hepatitis-B vaccine.
SEN. MARSHALL: I am sorry. Go forward.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I wasn’t speaking about Bobby Kennedy, or Secretary Kennedy. I used to be speaking about you, and what you mentioned in regards to the Hepatitis-B vaccine, and are you involved that picking-and-choosing this stuff like this, this bespoke idea of giving extra alternative, that it additionally has the impact of undermining confidence in vaccines?
SEN. MARSHALL: I feel it is a huge distinction between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats need a one-size-fits-all prescription for everyone. And I am telling you, not everyone reads the- reads the e-book does precisely like that. I’ve confidence in medical doctors, and nurses, and fogeys, and grandparents to make these selections. I do not suppose that we must always have one authorities coverage that dictates each one in every of these vaccines. I feel native coverage, native faculties, in the event that they need to have necessities, what Florida did was a bridge too far. However how about just a bit widespread sense? Just a bit widespread sense would go a protracted methods right here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, as a result of President Trump mentioned he had some doubts about that Florida assertion you simply talked about there, too, and that he likes a variety of vaccines. Earlier than I allow you to go, Secretary Kennedy based this group that’s arguing that ladies taking Tylenol or Acetaminophen may be placing their infants in danger. They declare there is a hyperlink to neurodevelopmental problems. Would you take- inform a pregnant girl to take a Tylenol and never really feel anxious about it?
SEN. MARSHALL: Look, Tylenol is a Class-B drug. I’ve given it to a lot of sufferers. It is on the approved- authorized record. However, that being mentioned, I attempt to inform my patients- my pregnant girl, to not take something, as a result of we do not know what we do not know. I am very cautious. , why- why did 20% of our youngsters have some sort of psychological well being sickness proper now? Why do we’ve so many peanut allergic reactions? Why do we’ve so many individuals with autoimmune illnesses? We- so we do not know. What we do not know, we do not know, and I would like gold commonplace research to assist us determine this out and type it out. However so far as I do know, Tylenol is okay in being pregnant.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Thanks, Senator, we’ll depart it there for immediately. We’ll be proper again.
