Rep. McCollum: HHS Nominee Threatens Health of All Americans, Including Seniors

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn. (4th CD), issued the following statement on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions' confirmation hearing on the nomination of Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services:

"The nomination of Representative Tom Price (R-GA) to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services represents a Republican assault on Americans who receive health care from Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and the Affordable Care Act.

"As Chairman of the House Budget Committee, Representative Price has repeatedly supported budgets that turn Medicare into a voucher program, raising costs for seniors and potentially leaving some uninsured. The Medicare guarantee is a promise to our seniors, and I strongly oppose any efforts to weaken this vital program.

"In addition to his work to hurt our seniors, Rep. Price has worked to undermine the Affordable Care Act, limit children's access to the Children's Health Insurance Program, and make it harder for low-income Americans to get health care through Medicaid. And he has attacked women's health care, including misguided and dangerous attempts to defund Planned Parenthood and limit millions of women's access to preventive health care.

"You can count on me to stand up and speak out against the Trump-Republican plans to both end Medicare as we know it and cause millions of Americans to lose health insurance coverage. On behalf of the American people, we must fight back and protect both the Medicare guarantee and all Americans' access to health care. The Senate should begin that fight back by rejecting the Price nomination."

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