AICommittee vote on O'Neill and Andres nominations for HHS posts

Title

Committee vote on O'Neill and Andres nominations for HHS posts

Purpose

The Senate Finance Committee met to consider the nominations of James O'Neill to be Deputy Secretary and Gary Andres to be an Assistant Secretary, both at the Department of Health and Human Services. Chairman Crapo voiced support for both nominees while Ranking Member Wyden used his time to oppose them, tying his opposition to broader Medicaid cuts under consideration in the House. Begins at▶ 0:13:57

Who spoke

• Chair Mike Crapo (R-ID)▶ 0:13:57: Opened the meeting on the O'Neill and Andres nominations and noted the committee's business would recess for an 11:30 floor vote▶ 0:13:57; praised O'Neill's management experience and plan to work with Secretary Kennedy▶ 0:14:21 and Andres's legislative experience and commitment to responsiveness▶ 0:14:47, stating he would vote for both and encouraged colleagues to do the same▶ 0:14:47; closed the meeting by sending it to recess without objection▶ 0:19:53.

• Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member▶ 0:15:20: Opposed both nominees, linking them to a House Republican bill he called the largest proposed Medicaid cut in American history, estimated at a trillion dollars in health care cuts▶ 0:16:03; said the bill would raise premiums for over a million Medicare seniors▶ 0:16:03 and roll back the 24/7 nursing-home nurse staffing requirement▶ 0:17:25; said O'Neill gave evasive answers on Medicaid cuts at his confirmation hearing▶ 0:16:31 and endorsed Robert Kennedy's approach to the measles outbreak, which he said has topped a thousand cases, and views on autism, including opposition to a proposed autism registry▶ 0:18:13; said Andres, in his role on the House Budget Committee, signed off on a Republican plan for more than $2 trillion in Medicaid cuts and criticized HHS for radical secrecy in response to committee inquiries▶ 0:18:43▶ 0:19:09; urged colleagues to vote no on both nominations▶ 0:19:37.

Key moments

• Sen. Wyden said House Republicans' bill amounts to a trillion dollars in health care cuts and would raise premiums for over a million seniors on Medicare▶ 0:16:03.

• Sen. Wyden said Mr. O'Neill gave evasive, "same tired talking points" answers rather than a direct yes-or-no on cutting Medicaid during his confirmation hearing▶ 0:16:31▶ 0:16:59.

• Sen. Wyden said Republicans are rolling back the requirement that a nurse always be present in nursing homes, 24/7▶ 0:17:25.

• Sen. Wyden condemned a proposed national registry for people with autism, linking it to views he attributed to Robert Kennedy that O'Neill appeared to share▶ 0:18:13.

• Sen. Wyden said the measles outbreak has now topped a thousand cases and criticized Kennedy's handling of it▶ 0:18:13.

• Sen. Wyden said Gary Andres's current position on the House Budget Committee signed off on a Republican plan containing more than $2 trillion in Medicaid cuts▶ 0:19:09.

• Sen. Wyden said the administration has provided no meaningful response to dozens of committee inquiries despite Kennedy's promise of "radical transparency"▶ 0:18:43.

• Chair Crapo stated he would vote in favor of both nominations and urged committee colleagues to do the same▶ 0:14:47.

• The committee recessed without objection to reconvene on the floor for an 11:30 vote▶ 0:19:53.