Trump’s HHS nominee advanced after Republicans change committee rules

A day after Senate Democrats boycotted a confirmation vote for President Donald Trump’s nominee for HHS Secretary, the Senate Finance Committee move the nomination to the full Senate anyway by suspending the typical committee procedures.

Democrats on the panel had said they wanted more information on the health stock trades of U.S. Rep. Tom Price, MD, R-Georgia, before a vote took place. Under committee rules, at least one Democrat would have to be present for a vote to take place, but committee chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, opted instead for a procedural maneuver to suspend the rules and advance the nomination on a 14-0 vote by Republicans. 

"They on their own accord refused to participate in the exercise," Hatch said after the Republican-only vote. "They have nobody to blame but themselves."

The top Democrat on the committee, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, said the delay was about waiting for information on one particular Price stock trade. Australian pharmaceutical company Innate Immunotherapeutics contradicted Price’s assertion that he wasn’t offered any special discounted price on the company’s shares. According to the Australian Business Journal, he was one of only 20 U.S. investors to buy stock at 12 percent lower than the traded price.

“This was new evidence that was, in effect, posted at 7:30 in the evening the night before the committee was to vote,” Wyden said.

When asked whether Democrats could do anything else to block Price’s nomination, Wyden would only say they would “follow up” on the new stock trading allegations.

For Price to be blocked, at least three Republicans would have to vote against his nomination. Due to rule changes made when Democrats were in the majority in the Senate, cabinet appointees need only a simple majority to be approved. The chamber is split 52-48 for Republicans, and in the case of a 50-50 tie, Vice President Mike Pence would cast the tie-breaking vote, almost certainly in favor of Price.