Senator lifts hold on Tavenner confirmation vote
The Iowa senator who blocked the Senate confirmation of acting Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner backed down and lifted the hold he had placed on the nomination last month.
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said he placed the hold on Tavenner's nomination before a congressional recess late last month because she had signed a directive in March that channeled funds away from the health reform law's Prevention and Public Health Fund.
Harkin said he's still upset that the White House pulled about $332 million from the fund to educate the public about the coming health insurance exchanges set to launch next year but has no objections to Tavenner leading CMS.
“Regrettably, in recent days, the White House has made it clear that it will not reverse course with regard to its raid on the Prevention Fund,” Harkin said in prepared remarks. “I do not want to interfere with the important work of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. I believe Ms. Tavenner is strongly qualified to be the next CMS administrator and that it is urgent to have an effective leader at the helm of CMS as we enter a critical stage in implementing the Affordable Care Act.”
No word on when the confirmation vote will take place.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.