January 18, 2017

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services came out of a confirmation hearing on Wednesday battered by questions about his financial dealings. Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee picked up on critical reporting showing that HHS nominee Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) purchased stock in healthcare companies while simultaneously pushing legislation to benefit those same firms. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash), the ranking Democrat on the panel, specifically pressed Price about his investments in a biotech company…

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Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) refused to commit to withdrawing from ongoing lawsuits against the EPA that he himself helped file as Oklahoma Attorney General. Scott Pruitt said Wednesday he would decide to withdraw from agency matters, only after consulting EPA ethics officials. Pruitt also recognized that the added layer of bureaucracy was unnecessary, when deciding that conflicts of interest require his withdrawal from agency matters. “Clearly, there is discretion to recuse,” he told Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), during his confirmation hearing…

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