Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Gottlieb Says He Can Be Most Effective At FDA, But Dodges Question On Nomination Talks
Reuters: Food And Drug Chief Gottlieb Skirts Health Secretary Talk, Says Most Effective At FDA
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, considered a potential successor to recently departed Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, said on Tuesday he believed he could best serve the Trump administration in his current role. "I feel like I want to continue to follow through on the policies we've put out and it's where I think I can be most effective," Gottlieb told Reuters in an interview in New York. (Clarke, 10/10)
The Hill: FDA Chief Plays Down Talk Of Succeeding Price At HHS
But Gottlieb did not rule out moving up to the Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary position, declining to say whether he has been in talks about the job. “I‘m not going to get into private discussions I might have had around that,” he said. (Sullivan, 10/10)
CQ: FDA Chief's Fans Hopes He Gets Passed Over For Promotion
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is considered to be a leading contender to succeed Tom Price as Health and Human Services secretary. While many, including Republicans in Congress, think he is qualified for the promotion, many of his fans and allies would lament his departure from FDA. In the five months since he was confirmed to lead FDA, Gottlieb has steered clear of controversy or drama, made overtures to Democrats who opposed him and tried to strike a balance between consumer concerns and industry demands. While those things help make a case for him as HHS secretary, there is also a fear that Gottlieb’s departure from FDA would have negative implications. (Siddons, 10/11)
The Hill: Trump Announces Hargan As New Acting HHS Secretary
President Trump announced a new acting secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services: Eric Hargan, who the Senate confirmed last week to fill the No. 2 position within HHS. Hargan will fill the post vacated by Tom Price, who came under fire and resigned late last month as HHS secretary after a series of Politico articles reported his use of private and government planes for travel cost taxpayers more than $1 million. (Roubein, 10/10)
Bloomberg: Trump Names Hargan As Acting Health And Human Services Secretary
President Donald Trump has formally designated Eric Hargan as acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, taking over for a deputy who’s held the job since Tom Price resigned from the post late last month over his use of taxpayer dollars to travel in private jets. Hargan, a former corporate lawyer who served on Trump’s transition team, takes over for Don Wright, the deputy Health and Human Services secretary, who had been acting secretary since Price was forced to step down after just seven months on the job. (Marois, 10/10)
