Senate confirms Tom Price as HHS secretary in party-line vote

Tom Price expertly avoided the most controversial topics. — (Image credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Early Friday morning, the Senate voted 52 to 47 to confirm Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to lead the Health and Human Services Department. The party-line vote was the fourth contested Cabinet vote in a row. Democrats argued before the vote that Price, a seven-term congressman and former orthopedic surgeon, had failed to come clean about some suspicious-looking stock transactions and has a history of pushing to curtail Medicare and Medicaid. Republicans argued that he is very knowledgeable about health care policy. Both sides expect Price to take a leading role in dismantling the Affordable Care Act and, presumably, replacing it with a new health insurance system.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.