U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D., a Louisiana representative in the U.S. Senate and chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, posted a series of statements on his social media account on February 18, 2026.
Cassidy expressed condolences regarding the death of Dr. Norman Francis, stating: “Saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Norman Francis. He dedicated his life in service to students, New Orleans, and Louisiana. ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ is being played by a jazz band right now as Dr. Francis enters heaven.” The post was made at 18:41 UTC.
Later that day at 19:23 UTC, Cassidy criticized Margaret Carpenter’s actions concerning abortion drugs: “Margaret Carpenter isn’t protecting anyone’s health—she’s putting women’s health in danger by giving abusers easy access to abortion drugs. @AGLizMurrill is working to bring justice.”
In a third post at 21:22 UTC, Cassidy marked the beginning of Lent with well wishes for Ash Wednesday: “Today marks the beginning of Lent, a time for prayer and reflection. Wishing you and your family a holy Ash Wednesday!”
Senator Cassidy has represented Louisiana in the U.S. Senate since his election in 2014 after previously serving in both the U.S. House for Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District starting in 2008 and earlier in the Louisiana State Senate (https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/). He obtained undergraduate and medical degrees from Louisiana State University and leads efforts influencing federal policy on health care as chairman of a key Senate committee (https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/).
