Chuck Schumer slams Tom Price appointment, says it's 'akin to asking the fox to guard the hen house'

Incoming Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) didn't mince words Tuesday in a response to President-elect Donald Trump's appointment of Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), a vocal critic of the Affordable Care Act, as secretary of health and human services. "Nominating Congressman Price to be the HHS secretary is akin to asking the fox to guard the hen house," Schumer said in a statement.

Schumer said Price, who is also in favor of privatizing Medicare, "has proven to be far out of the mainstream of what Americans want when it comes to Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, and Planned Parenthood." "Thanks to those three programs, millions of American seniors, families, people with disabilities, and women have access to quality, affordable health care," Schumer said in the statement.

Schumer has been clear about his opposition to House Speaker Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) proposal to privatize Medicare, and he has already vowed Republicans will "rue the day" they attempt to abolish ObamaCare.

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