Trump nominates former pharmaceutical executive Alex Azar to head the Department of Health and Human Services

(Image credit: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump announced Monday his nomination of Alex Azar to replace Tom Price as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services:

Azar formerly worked in the department under President George W. Bush, Politico reports. In 2007, he joined the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company, eventually rising to head of U.S. operations in 2012. Azar initially backed Jeb Bush in the 2016 election and later donated to the Trump Victory fund. He is also an outspoken critic of ObamaCare and soaring drug costs, claiming in May that "patients are paying too much for drugs."

If confirmed, Azar will replace Price, who resigned in September following reports of expensive taxpayer-funded travel. Read more about Azar at Politico.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.