‘Tom Obeyed The Law’: GOP Lawmakers Dismiss Democrats’ Ethical Concerns Over Price
“What disqualified Democratic nominees apparently is not a problem for many Republican nominees,” Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said Tuesday. “They seem to be bulletproof when it comes to ethical issues." Meanwhile, KHN investigates stock trades made by Rep. Tom Price, the Trump pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services, while his committee was under scrutiny by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Bloomberg:
GOP Shrugs At Price’s Stock Trades In Bid To Confirm Trump Picks
Tom Price is on a glide path to win Senate confirmation later this week as Health and Human Services secretary, where he would lead President Donald Trump’s effort to undo Obamacare, even as Democrats insist he still needs to answer questions about his stock trades. Senate Republicans have brushed off concerns raised by Democrats that Price, a Republican representative from Georgia, purchased stock in a few health-care companies and may have been financially motivated to develop or vote in favor of legislation that would benefit those businesses. (Edney, 2/8)
Kaiser Health News:
HHS Pick Price Made ‘Brazen’ Stock Trades While His Committee Was Under Scrutiny
Health and Human Services secretary nominee Tom Price showed little restraint in his personal stock trading during the three years that federal investigators were bearing down on a key House committee on which the Republican congressman served, a review of his financial disclosures shows. Price made dozens of health industry stock trades during a three-year investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission that focused on the Ways and Means Committee, according to financial disclosure records he filed with the House of Representatives. The investigation was considered the first test of a law passed to ban members of Congress and their staffs from trading stock based on insider information. (Taylor and Jewett, 2/7)
And in other news on agency positions —
Roll Call:
CMS Chief Nomination Is Advancing in Vetting Process, HHS Says
The Office of Government Ethics may “very soon” publicly post an agreement with Seema Verma, the Trump administration’s choice to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Health and Human Services Department told CQ Roll Call. The deal would bring her nomination closer to Senate consideration. The agreement would address “all potential conflict issues,” HHS spokesman Matt Lloyd said. These agreements are a routine step in the vetting of people who serve in top federal posts, as they often have connections to firms and government agencies in their field of expertise. It’s possible that Verma’s agreement will address her widespread contacts with states from her work as a Medicaid consultant. (Dooley Young, 2/8)
CNBC:
How President Trump’s Pick To Head Health Agency Could Shape Republican Medicaid Reform
When crippling back pain forced Robin Henderson to leave her job last year, Medicaid was a godsend. ... She gained coverage through the Healthy Indiana Plan — nicknamed HIP 2.0 — the state's version of Obamacare's Medicaid Expansion. ... The key architect behind HIP was consultant Seema Verma, the president and founder of Indianapolis, Indiana-based health policy consulting firm SVC. ... Now, Verma has been nominated by President Donald Trump to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, or CMS, where she will be deeply involved in implementing the Trump administration's plans to repeal and replace the ACA. (Coombs, 2/7)
