Senate confirms Tom Price as new health secretary

After almost 30 hours of debate led by Democrats, the senators voted 52-47 to approve his nomination, according to a Politico report.

Price is expected to be involved in the Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act, which congressional Republicans and President Trump have vowed to repeal.

Advocacy groups concerned with LGBT health have raised the alarm about repealing the Obama-era law. “While during his confirmation hearings, Price offered few details about his plans, those he did offer, like block-granting Medicaid, would lead to fewer low-income people and people with serious health problems being able to access the care they need”.

Mr Price’s confirmation was marked by no small controversy. In the last Congress, Price succeeded Paul Ryan – after he became speaker – as the chairman of the House Budget Committee, where he laid out budget proposals that called for an Obamacare repeal.

Robert Moffit, a senior fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Health Policy Studies, hailed Price’s successful appointment by President Donald Trump.

“They are out of excuses”.

Although they promise to replace the current system, they have yet to provide details of how.

Mr. Trump initially suggested he was working on his own plan with his HHS pick, to which Mr. Price quipped: “It’s true he said that, yes”.

Last year, we gave then-nominee Price our highest rating – Scorched Earth – for the threat he posed to LGBTQ rights.

Some conservatives are growing impatient, warning their constituents will revolt if Republicans don’t kill off the health care law soon. Price said that he would make sure that anyone who lost coverage would have access, and also said favors returning healthcare decisions to states and to physicians. Chris Murphy, Connecticut Democrat.

“I think there has been a lot of talk about individuals losing health coverage, and that is not our goal nor our desire”, the Georgia congressman told the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

The Senate confirmed Price, 62, on a vote of 52-47, with no Democrat or Independent voting in favor. I hear you, medical health and costs; you talk about a huge cost-driver to state pensions and other things, many of these areas would significantly alter state balance sheets.

“He wants to privatize Medicare, he wants to voucher-ize it”, said Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said during floor speech ahead of the vote, according to Politico.

Price appeared to be in more hot water last month after a Wall Street Journal report showed that Price was 1 of fewer than 20 US investors invited to buy discounted shares into Australian medical company Innate Immunotherapeutics.