BATON ROUGE — Sen. Bill Cassidy stopped by 2une In on Monday for a wide-ranging discussion about Pope Francis' passing, recent investments in Louisiana's economic development and education.

Cassidy said that Francis' legacy will be one of compassion and advocacy for the downdraught.

"I think that moral push that's been the role of the Catholic Church at its best through history is what he was just so emblematic of," the senator said.

Cassidy also celebrated Hyundai and CF Industries bringing historic investments to the Donaldsonville area.

"It's a confluence of everything that we have good about Louisiana," he said. "We've got a great workforce, we've got that great Mississippi River that takes things back and forth, we've got an ecosystem, where if you need this product, someone down the river is producing it and can send it up to you."

Cassidy added that it is his mission as a senator to bring more high-quality jobs to Louisiana.

"And this is the latest example of that which can happen," he said.

A Republican, Cassidy voted to confirm vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as national health secretary. Now, he has asked everyone who has not gotten vaccinated to do so. A former doctor, Cassidy said that vaccinations can help stop the spread of diseases like measles, which had its first confirmed 2025 case in Louisiana over the weekend.

"Nobody should die from measles now," Cassidy said, adding that Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham has also encouraged people to get vaccinated.

He also expressed the importance of herd immunity to benefit those who are immunocompromised.

Cassidy ended his visit to 2une In with a discussion on President Donald Trump's fight to dismantle the Department of Education.

"The amount of money coming to the state will remain the same," he said. "Only about five to 10 percent of the money the state spends on education comes from the federal government. And that money's gonna stay the same."

Cassidy said that 90 percent of the regulations the state has on education come from the federal government, adding that rolling back the federal department of education will allow for more experimental programs.

"This has the potential to be very positive," he said. "We still need accountability. If you're getting federal dollars, you need to spend it wisely. But you don't need to be wrapped in red tape that keeps you from doing good things."