Commentary: Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall announced that he will vote against confirming Congressman Tom Price (R-Ga.) as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Udall released the following statement:
“During his long career in Congress and in his testimony before the Senate, Congressman Tom Price has been relentlessly committed to a radical agenda that would strip health coverage from hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans and millions of Americans. After reviewing his record and his testimony before the Senate, I strongly oppose his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“Over 300,000 New Mexicans have gained health insurance since 2010 thanks in part to the ACA. But if he is confirmed, Congressman Price would lead President Trump and Washington Republicans' reckless effort to take us back to the days when millions of families couldn't see a doctor except in the emergency room, when insurance companies could kick you off your plan for a pre-existing condition and when millions of people were one serious illness from bankruptcy. The Secretary of HHS will have tremendous latitude under the president’s recently issued executive order to unravel the key protections provided by the ACA. If confirmed, I expect Congressman Price will gladly seize that latitude. In his hearings, Congressman Price would not commit to protecting the coverage of every American, and he refused to assure the American people that they will not be worse off under the Trump administration’s dangerous repeal agenda.
"During his hours of confirmation hearings and in his pages of written responses to questions for the record, Congressman Price has not been able to articulate any plan to replace the historic protections of the ACA. The ACA isn't perfect, but its benefits in New Mexico and across the country are undeniable. We should improve the law, not rip it up. Since Congress passed the ACA in 2010, the percentage of people in New Mexico without insurance has dropped by more than half, from nearly 20 percent to 8.9 percent in 2016. The ACA has also been a lifeline to New Mexico's economy, and its repeal could send our state’s economy into another devastating recession.
“Even though President Trump promised not to cut Medicare, he has nominated as HHS Secretary a primary architect of extreme efforts to overhaul and privatize Medicare. Congressman Price has also spearheaded plans to gut federal funding to Medicaid, which would place an enormous financial burden on states like New Mexico. Medicaid helps cover our most vulnerable populations: individuals with disabilities, children, seniors and many hard-working low income adults. Over 890,000 New Mexicans depend on the Medicaid program.
“I have consistently fought in the Senate to protect the health care of New Mexicans who depend on the ACA, Medicare, and Medicaid. Congressman Price, on the other hand, has a clear record of attacking these bedrock laws. For that reason, I believe he is not fit to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.”