The Democrats and the political Left have been apoplectic over the nomination of Congressman Tom Price by President-elect Trump to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. The reason is because there is no person in the country more qualified to oversee the dismantling of Obamacare and the institution of healthcare policy that makes sense, that will succeed and that will benefit everyone. So it was simply a matter of time before the smear merchants tried to create a controversy and drag a good man through the mud.
CNN, which is still stinging from the rebuke that Donald Trump dished out to reporter Jim Acosta over the “fake news” brouhaha, appears determined to get retribution by trying to bring down Dr. Price. They broke a story regarding stock transactions that occurred in Price’s portfolio, alleging that legislation he introduced was tied to this investment. There were facts that CNN allegedly possessed but decided not to report, in an attempt to provide ammunition to the Senate Democrats who hope to derail Price’s confirmation. The fact that this was a broker initiated event, unknown to Dr. Price and done to rebalance his portfolio was conveniently omitted. Once again, fake news.
The double standard and hypocrisy on the part of Democrats and the media is on full display in their failure to apply the same standards to Harry Reid. In 2005, he invested $50,000 to $100,000 in an energy fund (IYE) trading at $29.15 per share. He sold his shares 8 months later at $41.82 per share. One month after this, while Majority Leader and in the most influential position to directly affect legislation, he brought a bill to the Senate floor which cost the oil industry billions in taxes and regulatory fees. One month after the bill passed, the shares fell 42 percent, to $24.41. Shrewd investing to be sure.
Tom Price is an orthopedic surgeon who has a lifetime of real world experiences, taking care of patients in academic and private practice settings. He has years of experience dealing with healthcare policy at the state and the federal level. He has devoted his life addressing the problems in healthcare wherever he has worked. He takes the time to speak with patients and understand their problems, as well as with doctors and empathize with their frustrations. No one is more qualified than Dr. Price to assume the reins of HHS.
The Left is terrified of Dr. Price because there is no one else who will be able to fix healthcare in America. They fear that he will succeed, where they have failed. This begins with the dismantling and eventual repeal of Obamacare. This process requires someone at the helm who understands that patients know better than the government, what is best for themselves and their families. This is a phrase that Dr. Price often uses when discussing healthcare.
He has introduced legislation that puts control of healthcare decisions back where they belong- in the hands of patients with the counsel of their doctors. He supports a system where patients can purchase healthcare insurance in a competitive national market. This market will once again thrive when insurance companies can offer policies that people want and need, and not those that include everything but that no one can afford. He supports patients owning their healthcare insurance so they can change jobs without fear of losing their insurance. He wants patients to be able to have health savings accounts owned separately from their insurance and paid for with pre-tax dollars. He wants Medicare to be protected for those who rely on it, but modified for future recipients so that it will be sustainable. The same for Medicaid, only he wants to see each state determine how they wish to handle the funds through block grants. He wants to see alternative healthcare delivery models that provide value and better care to patients. He supports competition in the marketplace, which will drive healthcare costs down. He believes that the medical liability system is broken and needs to be amended, because it has resulted in billions of dollars of waste in the form of defensive medicine.
Dr. Price’s critics are quick to point out that he supports a system where patients will be forced to fend for themselves. That a repeal of Obamacare will result in millions of people losing their coverage. That children will be thrown off of their parents’ health insurance. That patients with pre-existing conditions will be left without health insurance coverage as they were before Obamacare. These are scare tactics intended to arouse emotion. Each of these issues has been addressed in Dr. Price’s bill, “Empowering Patients First Act,” or in the Speaker Paul Ryan-authored GOP plan “A Better Way.” The final answer will likely come from these 2 plans.
The Democrats need to stop the Tom Price nomination. He is our last best chance to steer the healthcare system back onto the right path. We cannot allow media distractions or theatrics by Senate Democrats to stand in the way of Dr. Price’s confirmation.