WhiteHouseWrap 07/08/10
Recess Appointment
Wednesday, the White House announced three "recess appointments" - which basically means he's appointing people to fill jobs that are vacant when the Senate is out, so those people get to forego the confirmation process, at least for now.
One of those is Dr. Donald Berwick, nominee for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in the Department of Health and Human Services. Some Republicans have said Dr. Berwick supports health care rationing.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked about his appointment, yesterday in the daily briefing: (the following is from the transcript)
Q Did you want to avoid a hearing because of some of Dr. Berwick’s statements on income redistribution, on praise for the national health service of Britain?
MR. GIBBS: No. The President appointed somebody who he believed -- and people, both Democrats and Republicans believed -- was uniquely and supremely to run an agency of the size of CMS.
National Right to Life executive director, David O'Steen said, "Donald Berwick is a one-man death panel," referring to an article Berwick wrote in a 1994 Jounal of the American Medical Association in which Berwick wrote, "Most metropolitan areas in the United States should reduce the number of centers engaging in cardiac surgery, high-risk obstetrics, neonatal intensive care, organ transplantation, tertiary cancer care, high-level trauma care, and high-technology imaging." And, an article in the May/June 2008 issue of Health Affairs, in which Berwick penned an article callinf for "rational collective action overriding some individual self-interest" which the National Right to Life said was to "reduce per capita costs."
Republicans also blasted the Berwick recess appointment, here's a statement from Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell:
“As if shoving a trillion dollar government takeover of health care down the throat of a disapproving American public wasn't enough, apparently the Obama Administration intends to arrogantly circumvent the American people yet again by recess appointing one of the most prominent advocates of rationed health care to implement their national plan.
“Democrats haven't scheduled so much as a committee hearing for Donald Berwick but the mere possibility of allowing the American people the opportunity to hear what he intends to do with their health care is evidently reason enough for this Administration to sneak him through without public scrutiny."
One of those is Dr. Donald Berwick, nominee for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in the Department of Health and Human Services. Some Republicans have said Dr. Berwick supports health care rationing.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked about his appointment, yesterday in the daily briefing: (the following is from the transcript)
Q Did you want to avoid a hearing because of some of Dr. Berwick’s statements on income redistribution, on praise for the national health service of Britain?
MR. GIBBS: No. The President appointed somebody who he believed -- and people, both Democrats and Republicans believed -- was uniquely and supremely to run an agency of the size of CMS.
National Right to Life executive director, David O'Steen said, "Donald Berwick is a one-man death panel," referring to an article Berwick wrote in a 1994 Jounal of the American Medical Association in which Berwick wrote, "Most metropolitan areas in the United States should reduce the number of centers engaging in cardiac surgery, high-risk obstetrics, neonatal intensive care, organ transplantation, tertiary cancer care, high-level trauma care, and high-technology imaging." And, an article in the May/June 2008 issue of Health Affairs, in which Berwick penned an article callinf for "rational collective action overriding some individual self-interest" which the National Right to Life said was to "reduce per capita costs."
Republicans also blasted the Berwick recess appointment, here's a statement from Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell:
“As if shoving a trillion dollar government takeover of health care down the throat of a disapproving American public wasn't enough, apparently the Obama Administration intends to arrogantly circumvent the American people yet again by recess appointing one of the most prominent advocates of rationed health care to implement their national plan.
“Democrats haven't scheduled so much as a committee hearing for Donald Berwick but the mere possibility of allowing the American people the opportunity to hear what he intends to do with their health care is evidently reason enough for this Administration to sneak him through without public scrutiny."