Price’s Secretary Hearings Continue

Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, President Trump’s nominee for Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, met with the Senate Finance Committee January 24 in a continuation of his confirmation hearings. Rep. Price also met with the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee on January 18; however, it is the Senate Finance Committee that will cast the vote to advance the nomination to the full Senate.

While many DME-industry champions have cheered his nomination, the ethics behind his stock portfolio have become a source of controversy. A report by The Wall Street Journal released in December 2016 found that Price traded more than $300,000 in healthcare company stocks over the course of four years. Because of his role as the head of the House Budget Committee and due to his membership on the Ways and Means committee, Price has influenced healthcare legislation. The legislation that he advanced could impact (and perceivable improve) his stock holdings with companies that would directly benefit. Price has maintained the integrity of his trades and insisted that all of his transactions are legitimate.
 
The Senate Finance Committee must now vote to advance the nomination to the full Senate. A date has not yet been set for this vote, but any activity on this nomination will be posted to the Senate Finance Committee’s calendar. The New York Times speculates that despite the intensity of his confirmation hearings, his nomination will likely move forward. It is important to note that a cabinet nominee has not been rejected since John Tower was nominated by President George H.W. Bush to be Secretary of Defense.