The hearing of the recently fired director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continued to reverberate in the Capitol on Wednesday as Sen. Bill Cassidy pressed for structural reforms and transparency, according to a video posted by ABC News. Speaking to reporters immediately after the testimony, Cassidy framed the exchange as a test of congressional oversight and public confidence in the nation’s preeminent public health agency.

“We need a full accounting of what happened at the CDC and why decisions were made,” Cassidy told reporters in brief remarks summarized from the ABC News video. Cassidy, a physician-turned-lawmaker from Louisiana and a member of the Senate’s health-related committees, said he was focused less on partisan point-scoring than on restoring the agency’s credibility. “This is about the public’s trust in science and institutions,” he added, according to the network’s footage.

The former CDC director, who was dismissed by the administration earlier this month, had been called to explain a range of issues tied to pandemic-era guidance, data-management practices and internal communications that critics say undermined the agency’s mission. Lawmakers from both parties pressed the witness on decisions that affected school closures, vaccine messaging and the use of federal resources during public-health emergencies. While Democrats cautioned against politicizing scientific advice, Republicans argued the episode showed a need for tougher congressional oversight.

Cassidy’s intervention is consequential because of his standing as a medically trained Republican lawmaker who has in the past worked across the aisle on health-care initiatives. His public posture — emphasizing accountability and nonpartisan reform — could nudge moderate senators in favor of legislative remedies that condition funding on improved transparency, institute stricter reporting requirements, or alter the confirmation and removal processes for public-health leaders.

Policy analysts and former public-health officials watching the hearing said the practical outcomes could range from incremental oversight measures to broader statutory changes. “Congress is likely to pursue avenues that increase visibility into agency decision-making, whether that’s through expedited reporting, audits or changes to tenure protections,” said a longtime health policy consultant who requested anonymity to speak candidly about ongoing negotiations.

Beyond potential legislation, Cassidy and other lawmakers emphasized the political stakes: public trust in the CDC is a deciding factor in voters’ assessment of government competence during health crises. Political strategists note that hearings like this tend to crystallize narratives ahead of congressional appropriations and midterm campaigns, affecting how constituencies view both parties’ competence on health policy.

The fired director’s testimony and Cassidy’s comments underscore a wrenching tension in Washington: how to hold scientific agencies accountable without eroding their independence. As Congress moves to consider budget bills and possible oversight legislation in coming weeks, Cassidy’s call for a “full accounting” is likely to be a touchstone for negotiations that will determine not only agency leadership and structure, but also the public’s willingness to follow future health guidance.