Rep. Tom Price faced hostile questions from Democrats during his confirmation hearing Wednesday over many issues, from his stock trades to his philosophy about healthcare coverage.
Price, a Georgia Republican and orthopedic surgeon, appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to discuss his nomination from President-elect Trump to serve as health and human services secretary.
Price isn’t out of the woods yet. He has another confirmation hearing at the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, and that panel will hold the final vote on his nomination.
Here are five takeaways from Wednesday’s hearing:
1. Access vs. guaranteed coverage
A major discussion during the hearing was where Price stands on healthcare coverage, specifically whether it was a right and whether any replacement to Obamacare would cover as many people as the law.
Price shied away from guaranteeing coverage for everyone, stopping short of a guarantee President-elect Trump called for last week.
Instead, Price repeatedly pointed to increased access to affordable healthcare.
“I believe that every single American should have access to the highest quality care and coverage possible,” Price said when asked by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., if healthcare is a right.
The question, and Price’s statement, speaks to a larger divide in the Republican caucus as they attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare.
Trump made waves when he recently told the Washington Post that he would announce a plan that has the goal of “insurance for everybody.” He did not offer specifics on the timing of his replacement plan or what it would include.
Republicans have largely opposed efforts that increased government involvement in healthcare.
2. Wheeling and dealing
A major part of questioning from Democrats focused on Price’s stock purchases as a lawmaker.
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., was among the most heated interrogators, asking Price about his stock purchases and whether they influenced the legislation he filed.
He focused on what he called a “sweetheart deal” to get discounted stock in the small biotech Innate Immunotherapeutics, which sold stock privately to about 20 individuals.
“I find it absolutely amazing that you responded that you did not know that you got a discounted price,” Franken said.
Price said that he paid “the exactly same price as everybody else and I disclosed it.”
“It really begs credulity that you didn’t know that you got a discount on this,” Franken responded.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., questioned if Price got a stock tip to invest in Innate from Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., who was bragging that he made people a millionaire from the tip.
Price denied that he invested just because of Collins’ inforamtion, and that he researched the company afterwards and then decided to invest.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., asked about Price’s purchase of between $1,000 and $15,000 in stock in Zimmer Biomet, a medical device maker, a week before introducing legislation that benefited the company.
Price said that he didn’t know about the purchases and his broker purchased the stock.
Murphy asked if Price talks with his broker about shying away from buying stocks in companies that may be affected by his legislation.
“I have had no conversations with my broker about any political activity at all, other than her congratulating me on my election,” he said.
Republicans on the panel leapt to his defense.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said that it isn’t uncommon for lawmakers to trade individual health stocks. He added that some members on the Senate HELP committee have done the same thing.
“This appears to be nothing more than a hypocritical attack on your good character,” Hatch told Price. “I personally resent it.”
3. Defying Trump on drug prices
The confirmation hearing cemented that Republicans aren’t ready to join Trump in attacking the pharmaceutical industry.
Trump told the Washington Post that the pharmaceutical industry has been politically protected but no longer. He pledged to pursue reforms such as giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices.
Several Democrats repeatedly asked Price whether he supports Trump’s reforms, and Price sidestepped the question each time.
“You have my commitment to make certain that drug pricing is reasonable and people have access to the medications that they need,” Price said in response to Sanders’ question on whether he would help legislative efforts to give Medicare negotiating power and let people import cheaper drugs from other countries.
Price said high drug prices are caused by many factors, but stopped well short of agreeing to Trump’s solution of giving Medicare negotiating powers.
Price’s position isn’t that different from other Republicans who have stressed boosting drug approvals at the Food and Drug Administration as a way to create more competition and lower prices.
4. Obamacare replacement coverage
In addition to questions on whether healthcare is a right, Price was peppered with questions from Democrats about Obamacare replacements.
Price has repeatedly introduced legislation in the House to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a plan that mirrors several other conservative alternatives. Price didn’t delve too much into his plan, and it is not clear what policies he will advocate if he is confirmed for the Trump administration.
However, Price did say that any replacement plan should cover as many people as Obamacare does now, and added that his goal is to cover more people.
“We oftentimes don’t talk about the 20 million folks that still don’t have coverage,” he said. “There are a lot of people that don’t.”
He added that he believes it is important to put forward a system that “allows every single American to have the opportunity to purchase the coverage they think is best for themselves and their families.”
Price’s comments come as the GOP has yet to coalesce around an Obamacare replacement despite several ideas that have been offered by lawmakers including Price.
Congress passed a budget resolution last week that starts the Obamacare repeal process. Now committees are starting to craft repeal legislation that can be approved in the Senate via reconciliation, which lets budget bills be approved via a simple 51-vote majority.
A key attack from Democrats has been that Republicans are attempting to repeal the law before a replacement is ready.
HELP Chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said during the hearing he wants a replacement to be ready when the law is repealed.
5. Medicare and Medicaid
Several Democrats remarked that Trump has promised to not cut Medicare or Medicaid, and wanted to know if Price felt the same way.
The line of questioning drew a testy exchange between Price and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who asked if as HHS secretary Price would keep the same promise.
“I believe the metric ought to be the care that the patients are receiving,” Price responded.
Warren said that the exact metric she is looking for is money, as Trump said he would not cut Medicare or Medicaid funding.
“You might want to print out President-elect Trump’s statement and post that into your new office,” she said.
Date: January 18, 2017