Since first announcing his plans to run for president in 2015, then-candidate Donald J. Trump pledged to repeal and replace the failed Obamacare law with patient-centered reforms that would actually help people. Now, Congressman Tom Price, who has been on the forefront of the battle to defeat Obamacare, has finally been confirmed as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the department that oversees the implementation of Obamacare. Price was approved early Friday morning on a party-line vote of 52-47, and his nomination was the first of Trump’s administration that directly will deal with the fate of Obama’s signature domestic failure.
BREAKING: Senate votes to confirm Georgia Rep. Tom Price as Health and Human Services Secretary
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 10, 2017
In addition to pledging to repeal Obamacare, Price’s confirmation helps Republican efforts to overhaul Medicaid, a push that has been bogged down in recent weeks as the GOP struggles to unify behind a health law of its own. From The Wall Street Journal:
Mr. Price is also expected to follow through on an executive order, issued by Mr. Trump on the first day of his administration, directing federal agencies to pare back regulatory elements of the ACA in ways that don’t require congressional action. There is little evidence of action on that front so far, but Mr. Price’s installation could change that. One rule he could overturn, for example, is the Obama administration’s mandate that health plans include contraceptive coverage at no cost to the patient, a protection that isn’t explicitly written into the law. As a congressman, Mr. Price voted regularly against federal funding for abortion and expressed skepticism about federal contraception requirements. — Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee—chairman of the Senate health panel—pushed Mr. Price to support their efforts to come up with an ACA replacement before the existing law is dismantled.
Republicans in Congress have pledged to repeal Obamacare by the end of the year. President Trump has said he doesn’t want the millions of Americans who have health insurance to be left out in the cold during the repeal process, and has pledged to ensure they are protected and will be given better health options going forward. Are you glad President Trump’s nominee to lead HHS has been approved? Share your thoughts below!