Republican Congressman Won't Challenge Speaker John Boehner
A conservative GOP congressman announced he will not challenge pro-life House Speaker John Boehner, squelching rumors that the top Republican in Washington will face a contest for his position.
The office of Rep. Tom Price's (R-GA), a pro-life lawmaker from Georgia, told conservative media outlets mid-day today that he will not seek the Speakership in an inter-party fight against Boehner. Ref. Source 6
Full Name: Thomas Edmunds "Tom" Price
Image from Wikimedia public domain.
Tom Price (Hover)
Georgia Rep. Tom Price named secretary of Health and Human Services, multiple reports say
Price, an orthopedic surgeon and a 12-year Congressional member, is the latest Cabinet pick for the Donald Trump administration, according to news reports from the Guardian and the Washington Post, citing unnamed sources. Ref. USAToday.
Rep. Tom Price last year purchased shares in a medical device manufacturer days before introducing legislation that would have directly benefited the company, raising new ethics concerns for President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Health and Human Services secretary. Ref. CNN.
In a middle-of-the-night vote, the Senate confirmed Rep. Tom Price to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The 52 to 47 vote was along party lines.
Democrats opposed Price, a Republican from Georgia, because he is a key architect of undoing the Affordable Care Act and has advocated making major changes to Medicare.
Their suspicions were deepened when it was revealed Price traded health care stocks while having oversight duties of the health care industry. Price has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Republicans view Price, an orthopedic surgeon, as a champion of free market principles who will guide the repeal and replace of Obamacare, the top legislative priority for President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans.
The Senate worked late because of procedural delays pressed by Democrats on a series of Trump's Cabinet members. Ref. CNN.
Tom Price bought stocks and took official action to protect pharmaceutical profits:
He didn't just lie to the Senate about it. It turns out to be much worse than that, and ProPublica has the story. On March 17, 2016, Price's stockbroker bought him as much as $90,000 in stocks at six pharmaceutical companies. Ref. Source 1z.
HHS Secretary Tom Price apologizes for reported $400,000 in chartered flights, vows to pay taxpayers back. "I regret the concerns this has raised regarding the use of taxpayer dollars," Price said. Price isn't the only Cabinet member whose travels have come under scrutiny. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reportedly asked to use a government plane for his honeymoon, while EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has traveled back to Oklahoma on the taxpayers' dime. Ref. USAToday.
Wasteful spending like this never ceases to amaze me. The baboons in Washington feel they deserve all of this at the tax payers dime because they are in the positions they are in. The fact that Special interest groups pay them more than twice their salaries can show the taxpayers exactly where the baboons loyalties are at.