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Donald Trump administration Secretary of Health and Human Services appointment, 2017
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Following his election as the 45th President of the United States in 2016, Donald Trump and his transition team considered individuals to fill the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services. The secretary of health and human services advises the president on health, welfare, and income security plans, policies, and programs of the Federal Government.[1] U.S. Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) was nominated for the position on November 28, 2016, and confirmed on February 10, 2017. He later resigned on September 29, 2017.[2]
| Nomination tracker | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate: Tom Price | ||
| Position: Secretary of Health and Human Services | ||
| Confirmation progress | ||
 | Announced: | November 28, 2016 |
| Hearing: | January 18, 2017 |
| Committee: | Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee |
| Reported: | February 1, 2017 (14-0) |
| Confirmed: | February 10, 2017 |
| Vote: | 52-47 |
To read more about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its current staff, click here.
Timeline
- See also: Tom Price
The following timeline highlights noteworthy events related to this appointment.
- On November 28, 2016: Trump nominated Tom Price for the position.[3]
- February 10, 2017: The U.S. Senate voted 52-47 to confirm Price.[4]
- September 29, 2017: Price resigned from his potiion.[2]
Committee hearings
Senate HELP Committee
Price appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on January 18, 2017. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) was the chair of the committee, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) was the highest-ranking Democrat. The committee had 12 Republicans and 11 Democrats. Price touched on a number of different topics, including Obamacare, Medicare and Medicaid, and telemedicine.
- On his approach to healthcare policy: Price outlined his philosophy on federal healthcare policy in his opening statement. He said, "If confirmed, my obligation will be to carry to the Department of Health and Human Services both an appreciation for bipartisan, team-driven policymaking and what has been a lifetime commitment to work to improve the health and well-being of the American people. That commitment extends to what I call the six principles of health care – six principles that, if you think about it, all of us hold dear: affordability, accessibility, quality, choices, innovation, and responsiveness. We all want a health care system that's affordable, that's accessible to all, of the highest quality, with the greatest number of choices, driven by world-leading innovations, and responsive to the needs of the individual patient."[5]
- On repealing and replacing Obamacare: To repeal Obamacare first and replace it later or to repeal and replace it simultaneously was a fundamental question for Republican lawmakers after Trump's election in November 2016. Trump advocated for a simultaneous repeal and replacement plan. Asked by Sen. Alexander how the process of a simultaneous repeal and replacement approach might work, Price said, "Nobody's interested in pulling the rug out from under anybody. We believe that it is absolutely imperative that individuals who have health coverage should be able to keep health coverage and move, hopefully, to greater choices and opportunities ... I think there's been a lot of talk about individuals losing health coverage. That is not our goal or our desire, nor is it our plan."[6]
- On Medicare and Medicaid: Asked by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) if he would commit to not using his administrative authority as HHS secretary to cut funding for Medicare or Medicaid, Price responded, "What the question presumes is money is the metric. In my belief, from a scientific standpoint, if patients aren't receiving care, even though we're providing the resources, then it doesn't work for patients. I believe that the metric ought to be the care that the patients are receiving."
- On telemedicine: Telemedicine was healthcare provided remotely through the use of the various telecommunication technologies. Asked by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) about what he saw as the future of telemedicine, Price responded, "Telemedicine is one of the those exciting innovations ... and is absolutely vital. I think we need to accentuate the ability to use telemedicine. Oftentimes, telemedicine is not paid for, it's not compensated. People eat, the clinicians eat those costs. They assume those costs that help the patient, yes, but make it so it's much more difficult for them to be able to provide the quality care necessary."
Senate Finance Committee
On January 24, 2017, Price had a second hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Finance. On January 31, 2017, Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee boycotted the meeting to vote on Price's nomination. On February 1, 2017, Democrats again boycotted the committee's meeting. In a letter to committee chair Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the committee's Democrats said, "We have significant concerns that both Mr. Mnuchin and Congressman Price gave inaccurate and misleading testimony and responses to questions to the Committee." Republicans then suspended the committee's rule that required a member of the minority party be present for a vote and voted 14-0 to send Price's nomination to the Senate for a full vote.[7][8]
During his hearing with the Finance Committee, Price answered questions on block grants to Medicaid and on Obamacare.
- On block grants to Medicaid: Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) asked Price if block granting Medicaid to states—which would give each state a set amount to administer the program as it sees fit—meant that Medicaid would then no longer be a right but a possibility subject to funds granted to states. He questioned, "When you move to a block grant do you still have the right [to Medicaid if you qualify]?" Price responded, "No. I think it would be determined by how that is set up."[9]
- On Trump's executive order on Obamacare: Trump issued an executive order that gave broad authority to the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the heads of other executive offices and governmental departments, "to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the Act that would impose a fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, healthcare providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of healthcare services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications." When asked by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) if he would commit to "not implementing the order until the replacement plan is in place," Price responded, "What I commit to you and what I commit to the American people is to keep patients at the center of healthcare. And what that means to me is making certain that every single American has access to affordable health coverage that will provide the highest quality healthcare the world can provide."[10]
Considered candidates for Secretary of Health and Human Services
The table below highlights individuals who were either nominated to the position by Trump or were mentioned in the media as potential nominees.
| Considered candidates for Secretary of Health and Human Services | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Notable experience | Source | |
| Ben Carson* | Former neurosurgeon | The New York Times | |
| Mike Huckabee | Former Gov. of Arkansas | The New York Times | |
| Bobby Jindal | Former Gov. of Louisiana | The New York Times | |
| Rick Scott | Gov. of Florida, former executive at Hospital Corporation of America | The New York Times | |
| Newt Gingrich** | Former Speaker of the House | Buzzfeed | |
| Richard Bagger | Former New Jersey State Senator | Buzzfeed | |
Tom Price  |
U.S. Representative from Georgia | Politico | |
| *According to The Washington Times, Carson turned down an offer to be Health and Human Services secretary on November 15, 2016.[11] | |||
| **On November 22, 2016, Gingrich indicated to Politico that he would not seek an official White House role, saying, "I've told the President-elect for months that I want to do is sort of be a senior planner."[12] | |||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ HHS.gov, "Guide to Information Resources," accessed August 11, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Politico, "Price has resigned as Health and Human Services secretary," September 29, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "Tom Price, Obamacare Critic, Is Said to Be Trump Selection for Health Secretary," November 28, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Tom Price Is Confirmed as Health Secretary," February 10, 2017
- ↑ United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, "Statement of Congressman Tom Price, M.D. (GA-06)," January 18, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "Donald Trump’s News Conference: Full Transcript and Video," January 11, 2017
- ↑ United States Senate Finance Committee, "Dem. Letter to Chairman Hatch on Nominations," February 1, 2017
- ↑ STAT, "GOP suspends Senate rule, muscles Tom Price through committee," February 1, 2017
- ↑ C-SPAN, "Health and Human Services Secretary Confirmation Hearing," January 24, 2017
- ↑ C-SPAN, "Health and Human Services Secretary Confirmation Hearing," January 24, 2017
- ↑ The Washington Times, "Ben Carson rejects job in Trump administration, says he can ‘best serve’ on the outside," November 15, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "JOE and MIKA: Trump WH will not pursue Clinton investigation -- TRUMP’s first 100 days: the power of the pen -- PELOSI’s pushback -- PENCE gets a round of applause at Martin’s in Georgetown -- ASHLEY PARKER to WaPo," November 22, 2016
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