Under the cloak of darkness, Senate Republicans cast an early morning vote to confirm ethically compromised Rep. Tom Price as Secretary of HHS
The Main Street Alliance, a national network of business owners who engage in policy issues of concern to small businesses, their employees, and their communities, released the following statement from National Director Amanda Ballantyne after the Senate confirmed Representative Tom Price to serve as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
“By confirming Representative Tom Price to serve as HHS Secretary, Senate Republicans have once again signaled that blind party loyalty is more important than integrity, equitable and affordable health care, and supporting small businesses and our communities.
Price has worked for years to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Under the ACA, over four million previously uninsured small business owners finally obtained affordable, quality coverage for themselves and their employees. With Price at the helm of HHS, the reckless rush to repeal the ACA will cause 30 million people, including those small business owners, to lose their coverage by 2019. The economic consequences of a repeal are far-reaching and devastating: the collapse of the individual market, the loss of millions of jobs, and skyrocketing premiums for small business owners.
Price’s plans to dismantle the current health care system also extend to Medicaid and Medicare, where he advocates for cutting billions and shifting the costs to society’s most vulnerable demographics: low-income Americans, seniors and children, and people with disabilities. These cuts will siphon billions of dollars out of local economies, starve state funding, and under-resource programs vital for small businesses.
Throughout the confirmation process, we repeatedly saw evidence of Price’s dishonesty. He lied about receiving a privileged offer from a pharmaceutical company and may face an ethics investigation by the Security and Exchange Commission for trading stock as a member of Congress. He also failed to disclose the full scope of his investments in companies that benefited from legislation he introduced.
We hope Congress will use its authority to hold Price accountable in this role and fend off threats to small businesses, our communities and our health care system.”
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