The Senate voted Friday to confirm Tom Price to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The orthopedic surgeon and congressman from Georgia was confirmed by the Senate, 52 to 47. The president chose Price because of his role in Congress as a staunch critic of the Affordable Care Act and his work on legislation to repeal it.
"Chairman Price, a renowned physician, has earned a reputation for being a tireless problem solver and the go-to expert on health care policy, making him the ideal choice to serve in this capacity," Trump said when announcing his nomination. "He is exceptionally qualified to shepherd our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare and bring affordable and accessible health care to every American. I am proud to nominate him as secretary of health and human services."
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) said Friday that Price is the leader America needs now to repeal and replace Obamacare: "For Americans struggling under Obamacare, today is a big step forward. Having Dr. Tom Price at the helm of HHS gives us a committed ally in our work to repeal and replace Obamacare and finally provide Americans with a better system."
"As we have made clear, the time for patient-centered reform is now, and Tom is—without question—the leader at HHS we need to make it happen," Ryan said. "We look forward to working with him to expand access to quality, affordable health care."
While many Republicans expressed their support for Trump's pick, Democrats have criticized him, saying his investments in the medical industry were a conflict of interest and should be investigated.
"Representative Price has reportedly traded more than $300,000 in shares of roughly 40 health care and pharmaceutical companies while simultaneously pushing and advocating for legislation on the federal level that could potentially impact these companies stock price," said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.).
Price assured lawmakers that he purchased the stock at the market price and did not receive any stock tips or nonpublic information about the company.
As secretary, Price has vowed to ensure that all Americans will have access to affordable health care.
"One of the important things that we need to convey to the American people is that nobody's interested in pulling the rug out from under anybody," Price said. "We believe that it's absolutely imperative that individuals that have health coverage be able to keep health coverage and move hopefully to greater choices and opportunities for them to gain the kind of coverage that they want for themselves and for their families."