New health secretary sought to follow Price
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is seeking a new health secretary to take the place of Tom Price, ousted after an outcry over flying on costly private charters for official travel.
The Health and Human Services chief oversees a $1 trillion department, with 80,000 employees and jurisdiction over major insurance programs, advanced medical research, drug and food safety, public health, and disease prevention.
The administration also will have to contend with renewed scrutiny of Cabinet members’ travel. Following news reports about Price, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee launched a governmentwide investigation of travel by top political appointees.
Trump has named Don J. Wright, a deputy assistant secretary of health, as acting secretary.
Mentioned as a possible permanent successor to Price is Seema Verma, a protege of Vice President Mike Pence. She now leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an HHS division that runs health insurance programs covering more than 130 million Americans. Verma’s immediate challenge is to manage the 2018 open enrollment season under the Affordable Care Act, which Trump and the GOP-led Congress have been unable to repeal.
Another possible HHS candidate is Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who won some bipartisan support in his confirmation and is well known in policy, government and industry circles.
Price, 62, a former GOP congressman from Georgia, resigned Friday. His pattern of costly trips triggered probes that overshadowed the administration’s agenda and angered his boss. Price’s regrets and a partial repayment couldn’t save his job.
Price became the first member of Trump’s Cabinet to be pushed out in a young administration that has seen several highranking White House aides ousted. He served less than eight months.
On Friday, Trump called Price a “very fine person,” but added, “I certainly don’t like the optics” around his travels. Price said in his resignation letter he regretted that “recent events have created a distraction.”
Privately, Trump had been telling associates in recent days that Price was overshadowing his tax overhaul agenda and undermining his campaign promise to “drain the swamp” of corruption, according to three people familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Price’s repayment of $51,887.31 for his own travel costs did not placate the White House.
The total travel cost, including the secretary’s entourage, could amount to several hundred thousand dollars.
An orthopedic surgeon turned politician, Price rose to Budget Committee chairman in the House, where he was known as a fiscal conservative.
When Price joined the administration, Trump touted him as a conservative policy expert who could write a new health care bill to replace the Affordable Care Act.
But Price became more of a supporting player in the GOP’s health care campaign, while Pence took the lead, particularly with the Senate.
The perception of Price jetting around — including a trip in May to Africa and Europe — while GOP lawmakers labored to repeal “Obamacare” raised eyebrows on Capitol Hill. Price flew on military aircraft overseas.
But House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Friday that Price worked hard to help that chamber pass its plan before the GOP effort reached an impasse in the Senate.
“I will always be grateful for Tom’s service to this country,” he said.