President-elect Donald Trump has selected Georgia Rep. Tom Price, a leading critic of President Barack Obama's sweeping health care law, to head the Department of Health and Human Services. A key Senate Democrat immediately criticized the choice.
If confirmed by the Senate, Price would play a central role in Republican efforts to repeal and replace the current health care law. Trump has pledged to move quickly on overhauling the landmark measure, but has been vague about what he hopes to see in a replacement bill. Also, Seema Verma was picked to become administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The president-elect has said he favors keeping provisions that allow young people to stay on their parents' health insurance and which prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.
Replacing President Barack Obama's health care law is "one of the things he's going to lead the charge on as secretary of HHS," said Jason Miller, a Trump transition team spokesman.
Price, a 62-year-old six-term congressman and orthopedic surgeon, has chaired the House Budget Committee for the past two years. A bookish conservative from the Atlanta suburbs, Price has worked closely with House Speaker Paul Ryan to assemble GOP budgets aimed at reducing the annual deficit.
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander , R-Tenn., the chairman of the Senate health committee, praised Trump's choice today.
"Dr. Price has a thorough understanding of health care policy and the damage that Obamacare has caused – he can see the view from the doctor's office as well as from the lawmaker's office," Alexander said in a statement. "I look forward to working with him to find a responsible way to replace and then repeal Obamacare so we can move most health care decisions out of Washington, D.C., and back to states and patients."
But Democrats immediately signaled a fight over the pick.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, said Price has proven to be far out of the mainstream of what Americans want" for health care programs and services for seniors, the disabled and women.
"Nominating Congressman Price to be the HHS secretary is akin to asking the fox to guard the hen house," Schumer said.
In a statement early Tuesday, Price said he is "humbled by the incredible challenges that lay ahead and enthusiastic for the opportunity to be a part of solving them on behalf of the American people."
He said he will work "to ensure we have a health care system that works for patients, families, and doctors, that leads the world in the cure and prevention of illness, and that is based on sensible rules to protect the well-being of the country while embracing its innovative spirit."
Last week, Price said that whatever Republicans do to replace Obama's health care law will bear a "significant resemblance" to a 2015 measure that was vetoed by the president. That bill would have gutted some of the health care law's main features: Medicaid expansion, subsidies to help middle-class Americans buy private policies, the tax penalties for individuals who refused to get coverage and several taxes to support coverage expansion. The bill would have delayed implementation for two years.
Price insisted that Republicans can keep the protections for those with existing medical conditions without mandating that all individuals carry coverage or pay a penalty to support an expanded insurance pool. Price said Republicans want to address "the real cost drivers" of health care price spikes, which he said were not necessarily sicker patients, but a heavy regulatory burden, taxes and lawsuits against medical professionals.