Tom Price Confirmed as Health Secretary

CBN Washington Correspondent Ben Kennedy reports on the reaction to Tom Price's confirmation as HHS Secretary.

Washington - Tom Price was sworn in as the 23rd Secretary of Health and Human Services. Price was approved by the Senate shortly after midnight on Thursday with a vote of 52 to 47.

"Tom Price is bright, he is creative, he's been a good legislator," said Senator Roger Wicker, R-MS. 

The 62-year-old Georgia Congressman was the chair of the House Budget Committee and has criticized Obamacare louder and longer than anyone else on Capitol Hill. Not long after President Barack Obama signed his healthcare bill into law, Price began introducing replacement bills, which were eventually shot down.  However, in a Trump administration, Price's ideas could actually be implemented. 

"We've needed him on the job and now we have him and I think it's a big step toward getting Obamacare replaced the right way," said Senator Wicker. 

Price is a physician saying the years he has spent in both fields of medicine and politics makes him uniquely qualified to craft healthcare legislation. 

"We are thrilled at Tom Price's confirmation as HHS secretary. It's mostly because he has 100% pro life record and he's led the charge in defunding Planned Parenthood through budget reconciliation," said Students for Life National Programs Director Lisa Stover. 

The HHS Secretary overseas a $1-trillion annual budget and makes decisions affecting all Americans on issues like food safety, vaccines and developing lifesaving drugs--also programs insuring 100 million Americans such as Medicaid, Medicare and Obamacare.