Tom Price (American politician)
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Thomas Edmunds Price (born October 8, 1954) is an American physician and Republican Party politician who served as the
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for , encompassing the northern suburbs of
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, from 2005 to 2017. He was appointed
Secretary of Health and Human Services The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...
by President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
and served in that role from February to September 2017. On September 29, 2017, he resigned as head of HHS following criticism of his use of private charters and military aircraft for travel. In July 2018, the HHS inspector general urged the HHS to recoup at least $341,000 from Price for wasteful expenditures. While in Congress, Price chaired the House Committee on the Budget,
Republican Study Committee The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a study group of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. As of 2021, the Chairman of the RSC is Representative Jim Banks of Indiana. Although the prim ...
and Republican Policy Committee.


Early life, education, and medical career

Price was born in
Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...
, and grew up in Dearborn, where he attended Adams Jr. High and
Dearborn High School Dearborn High School (DHS) is a public high school located in Dearborn, Michigan. It was founded in 1893 in Dearborn near Greater Detroit. Dearborn High is one of the three high schools of the Dearborn City School District and is located at 19 ...
. Price's father and grandfather were both doctors. As a child, Price occasionally accompanied his grandfather on
house calls A house call is medical consultation performed by a doctor or other healthcare professionals visiting the home of a patient or client, instead of the patient visiting the doctor's clinic or hospital. In some locations, families used to pay due ...
in
Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...
. Until Price was the age of six, his father worked a
dairy farm Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history that ...
in
Fowlerville, Michigan Fowlerville is a village in Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the northeast portion of Handy Township, but is politically independent from the township. The population was 2,886 at the time of the 2010 census. ...
. Price received his
B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
(1975) and
M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...
(1979) degrees from the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
. He completed a residency in
orthopedic surgery Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...
at
Emory University School of Medicine The Emory University School of Medicine is the graduate medical school of Emory University and a component of Emory’s Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center. Before it was established as the Emory School of Medicine in 1915, the school ...
in Atlanta, and settled in the suburb of
Roswell, Georgia Roswell is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States. At the official 2010 census, the city had a population of 88,346. The 2020 estimated population was 94,884, making Roswell the state's ninth largest city. A close suburb of Atla ...
. He entered private practice in 1984 and returned to Emory as an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery in 2002. He was the director of the orthopedic clinic at Atlanta's
Grady Memorial Hospital Grady Memorial Hospital, frequently referred to as Grady Hospital or simply Grady, is the public hospital for the city of Atlanta. It is the tenth-largest public hospital in the United States, and one of the busiest Level I trauma centers in th ...
, where he met his wife
Betty Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beat ...
, who worked there as
anesthesiologist Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, ...
. Price was a member of the
Association of American Physicians and Surgeons The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) is a politically conservative non-profit association that promotes conspiracy theories and medical misinformation, such as HIV/AIDS denialism, the abortion-breast cancer hypothesis, ...
(AAPS), a politically conservative group founded in 1943 to "fight socialized medicine" and known to promote a range of scientifically discredited claims. The AAPS opposes Medicare and
mandatory vaccination A vaccination policy is a health policy adopted in order to prevent the spread of infectious disease. These policies are generally put into place by State or local governments, but may also be set by private facilities, such as workplaces or s ...
. Price is also a member of the
American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016. The AMA's state ...
. Before entering the state senate, Price was politically active as a member of the Republican Party and traveled with the Medical Association of Georgia in the early 1990s to oppose the
Clinton health care plan of 1993 The Clinton health care plan was a 1993 healthcare reform package proposed by the administration of President Bill Clinton and closely associated with the chair of the task force devising the plan, First Lady of the United States Hillary Clinton ...
.


Georgia Senate (1996–2005)


Elections and results

Price first ran for office after receiving a phone call from
state senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...
Sallie Newbill in 1995. Newbill, who represented Georgia's 56th senate district, was planning to retire and personally asked Price if he was interested in succeeding her. Price accepted the offer and defeated Democrat Ellen Milholland in the election, 71–29%. In a 1998 rematch, he won re-election to a second term by defeating Milholland by a margin of 75–25%. In 2000 and 2002, he won re-election to a third and fourth term unopposed. Price has cited discontent with government regulations of the health care industry as his primary reason for becoming involved in politics.


Committee memberships

During his tenure as a state senator, Price served on the committees for Appropriations, Economic Development and Tourism, Education, Ethics, Health and Human Services, Insurance and Labor, Reapportionment and Redistricting, and Rules.


Tenure

Price was elected
minority whip The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and members of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as the chief spokespersons for their respective political parties holding t ...
of the Georgia state senate on November 6, 1998. He held this position until November 14, 2002, when Republicans took control of the state senate, and Price was elected
majority leader In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.
– the first Republican to ever hold this position in Georgia. He was replaced as majority leader by Bill Stephens on June 17, 2003.


U.S. House of Representatives (2005–2017)


Elections

;2004 In late April 2003, Price formally announced his candidacy for
Georgia's 6th congressional district Georgia's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. , it is represented by Democrat Lucy McBath. The Georgia 6th district's boundaries were redrawn following the 2020 census to be significantly more Re ...
in the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
. The seat was being vacated by Republican
Johnny Isakson John Hardy Isakson (December 28, 1944 – December 19, 2021) was an American businessman and politician who served as a United States senator from Georgia from 2005 to 2019 as a member of the Republican Party. He represented in the United State ...
, who had decided to pursue an opening in the U.S. Senate.
Bob Barr Robert Laurence Barr Jr. (born November 5, 1948) is an American attorney and politician. He served as a federal prosecutor and as a United States House of Representatives, Congressman. He represented Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Re ...
, a former U.S. Congressman, was considered an early frontrunner in the race to replace Isakson, but Barr withdrew his candidacy for personal reasons, shortly before Price entered the race. Price went on to run against two fellow state senators, Chuck Clay and Robert Lamutt, as well as two state representatives, Roger Hines and Mark Burkhalter. Also taking part in the race was John McCallum, a former aide to
U.S. House Speaker The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the U ...
Newt Gingrich Newton Leroy Gingrich (; né McPherson; born June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U ...
. At the time, Georgia's 6th Congressional district included parts of
Fulton Fulton may refer to: People * Robert Fulton (1765–1815), American engineer and inventor who developed the first commercially successful steam-powered ship * Fulton (surname) Given name * Fulton Allem (born 1957), South African golfer * Fult ...
,
Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
, and Cobb counties. The district lines had been drawn so as to heavily favor Republicans - ''
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...
'' called the district a "honey pot" for the party and suggested that whoever won that year's primary would likely retain the seat "into the next decade". Isakson had won the previous election with eighty percent of the vote, and no Democrat entered the race to replace him. Following Barr's withdrawal from the race, Lamutt, a millionaire
venture capitalist Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which hav ...
who self-financed much of his own campaign, was generally considered to be the new frontrunner; although ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' suggested that Clay, who had previously run an unsuccessful campaign to be Lieutenant Governor of the state, likely had the most name recognition of the remaining candidates. Clay had also served as Republican minority leader in the state legislature, several years before Price became the party's majority leader. Price's residence in Fulton County was seen as a disadvantage, because the 6th district had been exclusively represented by Cobb County residents since 1991. All of Price's opponents on the final ballot lived in Cobb. Price considered relocating, in order to improve his chances in the race, but he ultimately decided against this. Despite this handicap, Price had out-raised his opponents by late July, and although he was briefly overtaken by Clay, he reclaimed his top position in the 6th district race within a few months. In February 2004, it was reported that Clay and Price were the two highest-funded candidates in that year's Congressional races, nationwide. Federal election law put a limit of $2,000 on individual contributions to the campaigns, but Lamutt activated a clause that raised this limit to $6,000 for his opponents, when he loaned $600,000 to his own campaign. Lamutt would eventually increase this loan to $1.5 million, while Clay loaned at least $500,000 to his own campaign. In late April 2004, it was reported that Price had put a loan of $200,000 into the race. Despite this disparity in self-funding, Price had received contributions from a significantly higher number of donors than his opponents. At least $300,000 of Price's campaign funds came from the
health care industry The healthcare industry (also called the medical industry or health economy) is an aggregation and integration of sectors within the economic system that provides goods and services to treat patients with curative, preventive, rehabilitative, a ...
. In the final week of the election, several polls had Price ahead. ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' endorsed Clay over Price and the others, arguing that there was "little difference among the contestants on the issues", but that Clay had exhibited the greatest skill as a negotiator, while in the state legislature. Burkhalter and McCallum were not on the final ballot. On July 11, 2004, a televised debate was held between the remaining candidates. The election was then held on July 20. While early voting results showed Lamutt in the lead, Price overtook him by the end of the night and finished in first with 35% of the vote. Lamutt came in second, earning 28% of the vote, and Clay took third with 21% of the vote. Because Price failed to earn over 50% of the vote, a run-off election between him and Lamutt was scheduled for August 10. ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' proceeded to endorse Price in the run-off election, arguing that he had demonstrated strong leadership abilities in the state senate, during "difficult budget years". Lamutt was generally favored to win though, based on the assumption that he would consolidate the vote in Cobb County. A televised debate between Price and Lamutt was held on August 1, and early voting began the following day - the first time in Georgia state history that early voting was allowed in a runoff election. Price upset expectations by winning 54% of the vote - carrying about 80% in Fulton County and about 40% in Cobb County. Price then won the general election unopposed. ;2006 Georgia's 6th Congressional district was redrawn in 2005 to include all of Cherokee County. Additionally, it gained the northern tip of DeKalb County and retained only the eastern section of Cobb County. That Fall, John Konop, a businessman from Cherokee, announced that he would challenge Price in the Republican primary. Konop ran to the right of Price on immigration policy and criticized Price's support for the
Central American Free Trade Agreement Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
. He also argued that Price's support for transportation and energy bills would increase the federal deficit. Price defended these bills, arguing that the former would return more tax-payer money to Georgia and that the latter could potentially help the United States achieve
energy independence Energy independence is independence or autarky regarding energy resources, energy supply and/or energy generation by the energy industry. Energy dependence, in general, refers to mankind's general dependence on either primary or secondary energ ...
. Price raised $1.5 million throughout the primary campaign, while Konop merely raised around $50,000. ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' endorsed Price in the primary election, suggesting that Price could play an important role in shaping future healthcare legislation. A televised debate between the candidates was held on July 7, 2006, and the election was then held on July 18. Price defeated Konop, 82%–18%. Price then faced a Democratic challenger in the general election - Steve Sinton, a media figure from Cobb County, who had co-founded the liberal
talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...
news network Air America. Sinton argued that the Republican-controlled Congress had been irresponsible in its spending policies and oversight of the Iraq War. ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' considered these to be valid concerns but endorsed Price for re-election, arguing that he would better represent the conservative 6th district's constituents. In November, Price won re-election to a second term with 72% of the vote. ;2008–2014 Price was unopposed in the 2008 Republican primary. He then ran against Democratic candidate Bill Jones, a retired
air force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
, in the general election. Jones was described by ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' as a moderate. He cited Price's opposition to an expansion of the
Children's Health Insurance Program The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – formerly known as the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) – is a program administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides matching funds to ...
as one of his primary reasons for entering the race. Jones managed to raise over $225,000 - more than any other Democratic challenger in Georgia's congressional elections that year. An easy victory for Price was still predicted though. A debate was scheduled for October 21, 2008, but Price was not in attendance, as Congress was in session at the time. Jones was still allowed to deliver remarks at the event. Price carried a large margin of victory over Jones, earning 69% of the vote. In 2010, Price was unopposed in both the primary and the general election. He was again unopposed in the 2012 and 2014 primaries, but faced Democratic challengers each year in November. In 2012, Jeff Kazanow, a business consultant, narrowly beat Robert Montigel, a small-business owner, in the 6th district's Democratic primary. Montigel went on to become the district's Democratic nominee in 2014. Price won re-election to a fifth term in 2012, beating Kazanow with 64% of the vote, and to a sixth term in 2014, beating Montigel with 66% of the vote. ;2016 After being unopposed in the 2016 Republican primary, Price faced Democratic challenger Rodney Stooksbury in the general election. Stooksbury, said to be a retired aeronautic, was described by the media as a "ghost candidate", as he had no public photographs, official website, or social media presence. When
CBS46 WANF (channel 46) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is the flagship property of locally based Gray Television and is co-owned with independent station WPCH-TV (channel 17) and low-power, Cl ...
sent a reporter to his listed address, there was no answer, and Stooksbury's supposed neighbors had never heard of him. The Stooksbury campaign spent a mere $346. Despite the handicap of possibly not existing, Stooksbury performed better than any of his predecessors - Price won the election, but only carried 61% of the vote.


Tenure

Price was chosen to serve as chair of the
Republican Study Committee The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a study group of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. As of 2021, the Chairman of the RSC is Representative Jim Banks of Indiana. Although the prim ...
in November 2008, upon being elected to his third term in Congress. Two years later, he was chosen to serve as chair of the
House Republican Policy Committee A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
, which made him the "fifth highest ranking Republican in the House". Price was also chosen in 2010 to serve on the Ways and Means Committee and on the Budget Committee. In December 2012, he was named Vice-Chair of the Budget Committee, serving under
Paul Ryan Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American former politician who served as the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member o ...
, and in November 2014, Price succeeded Ryan as the committee's chair. In 2012, Price sought the position of
House Republican Conference The House Republican Conference is the party caucus for Republicans in the United States House of Representatives. It hosts meetings and is the primary forum for communicating the party's message to members. The Conference produces a daily pub ...
chair, which would have made him the fourth-highest-ranking Republican in the House. He was endorsed by Ryan, as well as by the
Tea Party A tea party is a social gathering event held in the afternoon. For centuries, many societies have cherished drinking tea with a company at noon. Tea parties are considered for formal business meetings, social celebrations or just as an afternoon ...
-affiliated organization
FreedomWorks FreedomWorks is a conservative and libertarian advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. FreedomWorks trains volunteers, assists in campaigns, and encourages them to mobilize, interacting with both fellow citizens and their political representat ...
, conservative political commentator
Erick Erickson Erick Woods Erickson (born June 3, 1975) is a conservative American radio host and blogger. He hosts a three-hour weekday talk show on WSB 95.5 FM and 750 AM in Atlanta, which is syndicated to other radio stations around the U.S. He also write ...
, future Vice-President and then-governor of Indiana
Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...
, and outgoing Republican Conference Chairman
Jeb Hensarling Thomas Jeb Hensarling (born May 29, 1957) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 5th congressional district from 2003 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he chaired the House Republican Conference from ...
. Ryan said of Price, "He was instrumental in drafting our House Republican budget. His vocal leadership on issues like health care, tax reform, and fiscal matters has been vital to our messaging and policy efforts. No one will work harder than Congressman Price at building a strong and compelling communications and policy strategy that reflects the will of our membership and the needs of the nation." Although then-
Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
John Boehner John Andrew Boehner ( ; born , 1949) is an American retired politician who served as the 53rd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served 13 terms as the U.S. represe ...
did not publicly endorse anyone in the race, he was seen as preferring Price's challenger for the position,
Cathy McMorris Rodgers Cathy Anne McMorris Rodgers (born May 22, 1969) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for , which encompasses the eastern third of the state and includes Spokane, the state's second-largest city. A Republican, McMorris Rodgers ...
, and offered Price a different position if he dropped out of the race for Conference Chairman - Price turned down the offer. He lost the election to McMorris Rodgers in November. That same year, Price was considered as a possible primary challenger for Republican senator
Saxby Chambliss Clarence Saxby Chambliss (born November 10, 1943) is an American lawyer and retired politician who was a United States Senator from Georgia from 2003 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a U.S. Representative from ...
, and in 2014, Price was considered as a possible replacement for
Eric Cantor Eric Ivan Cantor (born June 6, 1963) is an American lawyer and former politician who represented Virginia's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2014. A Republican, Cantor served as House Minority ...
as the House
Majority Leader In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.
, but Price ultimately decided against pursuing either of these positions. In 2013, the
American Conservative Union The American Conservative Union (ACU) is an American political organization that advocates for conservative policies, ranks politicians based on their level of conservatism, and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference. Founded on ...
named Price one of the most conservative members of Congress, giving him a 100% approval rating. Price was also described as one of the most conservative members of Congress by the ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' and the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''. Price is a member of the
Republican Main Street Partnership The Republican Main Street Partnership is a 501(c)(4) organization that was allied with the congressional Republican Main Street Caucus. The Partnership continues to exist, while the Caucus was dissolved by its members in February 2019. Hist ...
.


Voting record and political views


Healthcare

In response to questions as to whether or not
vaccine A vaccine is a biological Dosage form, preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease, infectious or cancer, malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verifie ...
s cause
autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
, Price stated in January 2017 "I think the science in that instance is that it does not". Price said in March 2017 that it should be up to individual states to determine whether vaccinations should be required - a position that is in keeping with current U.S. law, which does not require vaccinations on a federal level. All fifty states, however, have laws requiring that children in public schools be vaccinated. As a U.S. Representative, Price voted multiple times to repeal the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presi ...
, as well as portions of the
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (, ) is a law that was enacted by the 111th United States Congress, by means of the reconciliation process, in order to amend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (). The law includes the St ...
. Price introduced his first post-Obamacare bill as early as 2009, thereafter reintroducing updated versions in every Congress since that point. In May 2015, as
House Budget Committee The United States House Committee on the Budget, commonly known as the House Budget Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Its responsibilities include legislative oversight of the federal budget process, ...
chair, Price released health care legislation which was described by
Bill Kristol William Kristol (; born December 23, 1952) is an American neoconservative writer. A frequent commentator on several networks including CNN, he was the founder and editor-at-large of the political magazine ''The Weekly Standard''. Kristol is now ...
of the ''
National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief i ...
'' as "the strongest Obamacare alternative offered in Congress to date." Greg Sargent of the ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' wrote of the bill, "it's good to have a fleshed out plan, because it helps clarify the differences between the parties on health reform." Sargent also wrote that "GOP reforms would likely translate into lower-quality plans and a coverage expansion that would benefit fewer people. But that would be the trade-off Republicans would make to achieve their goal of less government spending and interference in the market than that which occurs under Obamacare." In 2017, after Price was nominated to be
Secretary of Health and Human Services The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...
,
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
wrote that Price's 2015 bill would be seen as "one of the main paths forward to repeal portions of the ACA." Price has supported
Paul Ryan Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American former politician who served as the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member o ...
's plan to
privatize Privatization (also privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation when ...
Medicare. Price voted against the
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...
, a law that for the first time gave the
Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...
regulatory jurisdiction over tobacco products, i.e., the power to regulate tobacco as a drug.


Abortion

Price opposes
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
and voted to withdraw federal funding for
Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...
. In 2005, he co-sponsored the Right to Life Act, which would have defined life as beginning at the moment of conception, therefore banning most abortions and many forms of
contraception Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...
. On multiple occasions, Price supported the proposed Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would have implemented a nationwide ban on abortions occurring after the twentieth week of pregnancy. Price supported the proposed Protect Life Act of 2011, which would have amended the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (often abbreviated as the ACA) to deny federal subsidies to any health insurance plans offering abortion coverage - exceptions would have been allowed in the cases of rape, incest, or when a mother's life is at risk. The ACA already banned federal subsidies from being used to cover abortions, but did allow health insurance plans covering abortions to receive federal subsidies, so long as such funding was not directly used for abortion coverage. The Protect Life Act would have also allowed hospitals to refuse life-saving abortions to women in emergency situations. In 2013, Price co-sponsored the Health Care Conscience Rights Act, which would have amended the ACA to allow all employers opposed to abortion and contraception to offer health insurance plans that do not cover these services. The bill also would have amended the
Public Health Service Act The Public Health Service Act is a United States federal law enacted in 1944. The full act is codified in Title 42 of the United States Code (The Public Health and Welfare), Chapter 6A (Public Health Service). Contents The act clearly establis ...
to strengthen protections of health care workers who refuse to participate in abortion procedures. Among the ACA's other provisions, Price is opposed to the bill's elimination, under most health insurance plans, of co-pays for
birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...
. Price defended his position on this issue in a 2012 interview by suggesting that no women in the country have ever struggled to pay for birth control. He said, "Bring me one woman who has been left behind. Bring me one. There's not one." Numerous media outlets have refuted this assertion. In 2017, during his confirmation hearing to become Secretary of Health and Human Services, Price was questioned about this comment and responded, "What I meant is that when I had patients in my office who could not afford a medication we did everything we could to make sure they could have it. There are avenues in the health care system that doctors and hospitals take to make sure people can get the health care they need." Price has received perfect scores from the
National Right to Life Committee The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) is the oldest and largest national anti-abortion organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and more than 3,000 local chapters nationwide. Since the 1980s, NRLC has influen ...
, while receiving scores of zero from both Planned Parenthood and
NARAL Pro-Choice America NARAL Pro-Choice America, commonly known as simply NARAL ( ), is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization in the United States that engages in lobbying, political action, and advocacy efforts to oppose restrictions on abortion, to expand access to ...
. He participated in the
March for Life March for Life may refer to: * March for Life (Washington, D.C.), an annual anti-abortion gathering held in Washington, D.C. * March for Life (Paris), an annual demonstration held in Paris protesting abortion * March for Life (Prague), an annual ...
annually from 2009 through 2013 and also participated in 2015.


Economic policy

In 2011, Price voted to reduce non-security discretionary spending to 2008 levels (and subsequently voted against several amendments offered via motions to recommit with instructions). In 2013, he was the main sponsor of the Require a PLAN Act (mandating that the President identify a fiscal year in which the budget will be balanced). He voted for the No Budget, No Pay Act and a resolution establishing a budget for the United States Government for FY 2014 that passed the House of Representatives. In 2011, Price voted to prohibit federal funding of
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
. Price voted to terminate the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program. Price voted to reduce federal spending and the deficit by terminating taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns and party conventions.


Environment, energy, and agriculture

Price rejects the
scientific consensus on climate change There is a strong scientific consensus that the Earth is warming and that this warming is mainly caused by human activities. This consensus is supported by various studies of scientists' opinions and by position statements of scientific org ...
. In 2008, he signed a pledge sponsored by
Americans for Prosperity Americans for Prosperity (AFP), founded in 2004, is a libertarian conservative political advocacy group in the United States funded by Charles Koch and formerly his brother David. As the Koch brothers' primary political advocacy group, it is one ...
promising to vote against any
global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
legislation that would raise taxes. In 2010, while speaking out against proposed regulations of
carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...
, Price said that the science behind global warming was filled with "errors and obfuscation". In 2006, Price voted against the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act - a bill which maintained the moratorium on most offshore oil and gas drilling in the United States. Although the moratorium was lifted two years later, it was reinstated under
President Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
, prompting Price to vote in favor of the Reversing Pres. Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act in 2011. In 2007, Price voted against the No Oil and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) Act, which would have removed
sovereign immunity Sovereign immunity, or crown immunity, is a legal doctrine whereby a sovereign or state cannot commit a legal wrong and is immune from civil suit or criminal prosecution, strictly speaking in modern texts in its own courts. A similar, stronger ...
protections for
OPEC The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, ) is a cartel of countries. Founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela), it has, since 1965, been headquart ...
, allowing the organization's members to be sued in the U.S. court system. Although the bill passed with bipartisan support in Congress, it was vetoed by President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
. That same year, Price voted against the Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation (CLEAN) Act, which would have eliminated tax breaks and subsidies for oil and gas companies - the newly raised funds would have then been used to support the development of
alternative energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a Orders of magnitude (time), human timescale. It includes sources such as Solar power, sunlight, wind power, wind, the movement of Hydropo ...
sources. Price also voted against providing funding for domestically produced
biofuels Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (E ...
, and on multiple occasions, he voted against providing tax incentives for
renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
. In 2009, Price voted against the
American Clean Energy and Security Act The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress () that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme. The bil ...
, which would have implemented a
cap and trade Emissions trading is a market-based approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for reducing the emissions of pollutants. The concept is also known as cap and trade (CAT) or emissions trading scheme (ETS). Carbon emission t ...
system on
greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and lar ...
. Although the bill was never voted on in the Senate, the Obama administration proceeded to regulate greenhouse gas emissions through the
Clean Power Plan The Clean Power Plan was an Obama administration policy aimed at combating anthropogenic climate change (global warming) that was first proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in June 2014. The final version of the plan was unveil ...
. In 2011, Price voted for the
Energy Tax Prevention Act Energy Tax Prevention Act, also known as H.R. 910, was a 2011 bill in the United States House of Representatives to prohibit the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gases to Climate change mitigation, ad ...
, which would have prevented the
Environmental Protection Agency A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...
from implementing such regulations. In 2011, Price supported the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act, which would have prevented the
Environmental Protection Agency A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...
from regulating the amount of dust produced through various commercial operations, and the Superfund Common Sense Act, which would have removed
manure Manure is organic matter that is used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Most manure consists of animal feces; other sources include compost and green manure. Manures contribute to the fertility of soil by adding organic matter and nutri ...
from the federal government's list of hazardous or pollutant substances. He also voted for the Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012, which had it become law, would have made financial assistance available to ranchers who had lost livestock due to
drought A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D.  Jiang, A.  Khan, W.  Pokam Mba, D.  Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
. The cost of the assistance would have been offset by cuts to programs intended to prevent future droughts. The
American Farm Bureau Federation The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), also known as Farm Bureau Insurance and Farm Bureau Inc. but more commonly just the Farm Bureau (FB), is a United States-based insurance company and lobbying group that represents the American agri ...
gave Price a score of 82% in 2005–2006, 23% in 2007–2008, 66% in 2009–2010, 70% in 2011, and 25% in 2014. Price consistently received 0% approval ratings from the National Farmers Union, during his time in Congress, except for when he received a score of 11% in 2012. The
League of Conservation Voters The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is an American environmental advocacy group. LCV says that it "advocates for sound environmental laws and policies, holds elected officials accountable for their votes and actions, and elects pro-environmen ...
gave Price a lifetime score of 4%.


Foreign policy

Price voted to extend the
Patriot Act The USA PATRIOT Act (commonly known as the Patriot Act) was a landmark Act of the United States Congress, signed into law by President George W. Bush. The formal name of the statute is the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropr ...
. Price voted against a resolution which would have forced the president to withdraw American forces from Iraq. In 2015, Price stated his belief that states should not have to participate in refugee resettlement programs. During Price's first year in Congress, he voted for the
United Nations Reform Act of 2005 On June 17, 2005, the United States House of Representatives passed , a bill to cut funds to the United Nations in half by 2008 if it did not meet with certain criteria laid out in the legislation. The United States is estimated to contribute abo ...
, which would have withdrawn up to one-half of US funding for the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
, unless various reforms were met. In 2011, Price voted for the United Nations Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act, which would have limited the kind of funding allowed to be contributed to the United Nations. In 2005, Price voted against the East Asia Security Act, which would have allowed for sanctions on any country violating the arms embargo on China. In 2007, Price co-sponsored the Syria Accountability and Liberation Act, which would have strengthened the sanctions imposed on Syria under the
Syria Accountability Act The Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act (SALSRA,) is a bill of the United States Congress passed into law on December 12, 2003. The bill's stated purpose is to end what the United States sees as Syrian support for terror ...
, and maintained those sanctions until
weapons of mass destruction A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous individuals or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natura ...
were seized in the country and dismantled. In 2008, Price voted in favor of the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Non-proliferation Enhancement Act.


Gun policy

Price opposed
gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians. Most countries have a restrictive firearm guiding policy, with on ...
. Throughout his congressional career, he consistently received high ratings from the
National Rifle Association The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...
and its
Political Victory Fund The Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) is the political action committee (PAC) of the National Rifle Association (NRA). The Fund contributes money to political campaigns of candidates endorsed by the NRA. Chairman Chris W. Cox, who has been the NR ...
, as well as from the
Gun Owners of America Gun Owners of America (GOA) is a gun rights organization in the United States. It makes efforts to differentiate itself from the larger National Rifle Association (NRA) and has publicly criticized the NRA on multiple occasions for what it consid ...
, while consistently receiving scores of 0 from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. In 2005, Price voted for the
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) is a U.S law, passed in 2005, that protects firearms manufacturers and dealers from being held liable when crimes have been committed with their products. Both arms manufacturers and dealers ...
, which protects
firearms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
manufacturers and dealers from facing legal consequences, when crimes are committed with the use of their products. In 2007, Price co-sponsored the D.C. Personal Protection Act, which would have repealed many of
Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
's local gun control regulations, over the protests of D.C.'s elected officials. Although the bill failed to become law, the 2008
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
decision ''
District of Columbia v. Heller ''District of Columbia v. Heller'', 554 U.S. 570 (2008), is a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms, unconnected with service i ...
'' found that the absolute prohibition of
handgun A handgun is a short- barrelled gun, typically a firearm, that is designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun (i.e. rifle, shotgun or machine gun, etc.), which needs to be held by both hands and also braced ...
s in D.C. was unconstitutional. Price praised this decision, as well as the Supreme Court decision reached two years later in ''
McDonald v. City of Chicago ''McDonald v. City of Chicago'', 561 U.S. 742 (2010), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that found that the right of an individual to "keep and bear arms", as protected under the Second Amendment, is incorporated ...
'', which stated that the
Second Amendment The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds eac ...
applies to the states. In 2009, Price supported the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act, which would have made
concealed carry Concealed carry, or carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), is the practice of carrying a weapon (usually a sidearm such as a handgun), either in proximity to or on one's person or in public places in a manner that hides or conceals the weapon's pre ...
permits issued by any state valid nationwide.


Immigration

Price believes that illegal immigrants in the United States should be
deported Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...
, saying in 2005 of George W. Bush's plans for immigration reform, "Thinly veiled attempts to promote amnesty cannot be tolerated." In 2009, Price voted for the Birthright Citizenship Act, which would have revised the
U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...
's 14th Amendment to prevent children born to illegal immigrants in the country from attaining
birthright citizenship ''Jus soli'' ( , , ; meaning "right of soil"), commonly referred to as birthright citizenship, is the right of anyone born in the territory of a state to nationality or citizenship. ''Jus soli'' was part of the English common law, in contras ...
.


LGBTQ rights

In 2006, Price voted for the
Marriage Protection Amendment The Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA), also referred to by proponents as the Marriage Protection Amendment, was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that would legally define marriage as a union of one man and one woman. The FMA ...
, which would have defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. He was one of the proposed amendment's co-sponsors, when it was reintroduced in 2008. On multiple occasions, Price voted against the
Employment Non-discrimination Act The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is legislation proposed in the United States Congress that would prohibit discrimination in hiring and employment on the basis of sexual orientation or, depending on the version of the bill, gender ...
, which would have expanded federal anti-discrimination law to prohibit employers from discriminating on the basis of
sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...
(several states already have such a protection and exceptions for religious organizations would have been allowed). In 2015, he co-sponsored the
First Amendment Defense Act The First Amendment Defense Act (often abbreviated FADA) () is a bill introduced into the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate on June 17, 2015. The Senate sponsor of the bill is Mike Lee (R-Utah), and the House sponsor i ...
, which would have prevented the federal government from penalizing businesses that deny services to
same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a Romance (love), romantic or Human sexuality, sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil ...
. In 2009, Price opposed the
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is a landmark United States federal law, passed on October 22, 2009, and signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 28, 2009, as a rider to the National Defense Auth ...
, which extended the scope of federal hate crime laws to include crimes in which individuals are targeted due to their sexual orientation,
gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...
, or
gender identity Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent, and consistent with the i ...
. Price also voted against the
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 (, ) is a landmark United States federal statute enacted in December 2010 that established a process for ending the "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy (), thus allowing gay, lesbian, and bisexu ...
and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, which extended the original bill's protections to cover same-sex couples. In 2016, Price criticized the Obama administration's directive that allowed
transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...
students to use restrooms corresponding with their gender identity. On Facebook, Price wrote, "It is absurd that we need a 'federal restroom policy' for our nation's schools. This is yet another abuse and overreach of power by the #Obama Administration, and a clear invasion of privacy. Schools should not have to fear retaliation for failure to comply." Price consistently received scores of zero from the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
(a gay rights organization) throughout his congressional career, except for between 2007 and 2010, when he received 10% approval ratings.


Legislation sponsored by Price

Price is the sponsor of the Empowering Patients First Act (EPFA), which he first introduced in the 111th Congress and has reintroduced in each Congress since then. Originally intended to be a Republican alternative to Democratic efforts to reform the health care system, it has since been positioned by Price and other Republicans as a potential replacement for the ACA. The bill, among other things, creates and expands tax credits for purchasing health insurance, allows for some interstate health insurance markets, and reforms medical malpractice lawsuits. Price introduced the
Pro-Growth Budgeting Act of 2013 The Pro-Growth Budgeting Act of 2013 () is a bill that would require the Congressional Budget Office to provide a macroeconomic impact analysis for bills that are estimated to have a large budgetary effect. The bill was introduced into the Unite ...
on May 8, 2013. The bill would require the
Congressional Budget Office The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides budget and economic information to Congress. Inspired by California's Legislative Analyst's Office that manages ...
to provide a macroeconomic impact analysis for bills that are estimated to have a large budgetary effect. Price said it was necessary because of the Congressional Budget Office's current method of reviewing bills just to see what they would cost. Price said, "that is a model that has proven to be incapable of providing the type of macroeconomic diagnosis folks need to make sure we are pursuing policies that will help generate economic opportunity and bring down the nation's debt." H.R. 1874 has passed the House but has yet to become law.


Committee assignments

* Committee on the Budget *
Committee on Ways and Means The Committee on Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee has jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures, as well as a number of other program ...
**
Subcommittee on Health The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health is a subcommittee within the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Jurisdiction The House Subcommittee on Health has general jurisdiction over bills and resolutions relating to pub ...
** Subcommittee on Human Resources


Caucus memberships

*
Congressional Constitution Caucus The Congressional Constitution Caucus is a congressional caucus made up of 41 members of the United States Congress. The caucus was founded in 2005; it had 37 members the first year it was founded. The group was founded and formerly led by Repu ...
* Friends of Wales Caucus


Involvement in U.S. Presidential elections

Price endorsed
Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...
in the Republican Party's 2008 presidential primaries and Newt Gingrich in the party's 2012 primaries. In 2016, he supported
Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio (born May 28, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the senior United States senator from Florida, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Speaker of the Florida Hous ...
and initially opposed
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
, saying in March of that year that Trump would be "dangerous for politics and the economy." Despite this, once Trump became the Republican Party's presumptive nominee, Price switched his allegiance and corralled eight of his fellow House Republican committee chairs into joining him. They released a group endorsement of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
for president on May 13, 2016, which stated, "There is a path to winning in November, and it comes through unity. To solidify this partnership, we endorse Mr. Trump as the Republican nominee for President and call upon all Americans to support him." A month later, Price's efforts in getting those committee chairs to endorse Trump led the ''Washington Post'' to name Price as one of Trump's "top six allies in Congress."


Secretary of Health and Human Services

On November 29, 2016, Price was nominated for
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...
(HHS) by President-elect
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
. On February 1, 2017, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved his nomination by a vote of 11–0 with all Democrats boycotting the vote, sending the nomination to the Senate floor. On February 10, 2017, the Senate confirmed Price in a 52–47 vote. In March 2017, Price endorsed the
American Health Care Act of 2017 The American Health Care Act of 2017 (often shortened to the AHCA or nicknamed Trumpcare) was a bill in the 115th United States Congress. The bill, which was passed by the United States House of Representatives but not by the United States S ...
, a bill proposed by House Republicans that would repeal the
individual mandate An individual mandate is a requirement by law for certain persons to purchase or otherwise obtain a good or service. United States Militia act The Militia Acts of 1792, based on the Constitution's militia clause (in addition to its affirmative ...
and make several other major changes to the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presi ...
. When the
Congressional Budget Office The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides budget and economic information to Congress. Inspired by California's Legislative Analyst's Office that manages ...
estimated that the American Health Care Act would insure 24 million fewer Americans than the Affordable Care Act by 2026 and reduce the federal deficit by $337 billion in the same span, Price said he disagreed "strenuously" with the report and found it "not believable". In April 2017, Public News Service reporter Dan Heyman was arrested by West Virginia police for "aggressively breaching Secret Service agents" and "causing a disturbance by yelling questions" related to proposed healthcare legislation at Price and
Kellyanne Conway Kellyanne Elizabeth Conway (née Fitzpatrick; born January 20, 1967) is an American political consultant and pollster, who served as Senior Counselor to the President in the administration of Donald Trump from 2017 to 2020. She was previous ...
. Price said the arrest was "not my decision to make". While he was HHS secretary, he said that the
individual mandate An individual mandate is a requirement by law for certain persons to purchase or otherwise obtain a good or service. United States Militia act The Militia Acts of 1792, based on the Constitution's militia clause (in addition to its affirmative ...
(a component of the Affordable Care Act requiring the purchase of health insurance) increased the cost of health care. However, in May 2018, while no longer HHS secretary, Price admitted that the repeal of the individual mandate would reduce participation of young and healthy individuals in the health insurance market and thus drive up the cost of health care for those remaining.


Private jet scandal and resignation

In a series of reports in September 2017, ''
Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...
'' reported that since May 2017, Price had expended more than $1 million of department funds for his own travel on private charter jets and military aircraft. Many of the flights were between cities that are easily accessible by train or car and have frequent, low-cost commercial airline service. Five Democratic members of Congress requested an inspector general's investigation into Price's use of private aircraft. Price's use of private planes was legal but was criticized by ethics experts as a misuse of taxpayer funding. Price's spokesperson justified Price's use of private jets as a reasonable precaution, given that Price was once unable to attend an important meeting because a commercial flight was cancelled; ''Politico'' noted that the flight in question was cancelled because air travel had been virtually shut down in the region in question at the time, preventing even private jets from taking off. As a congressman in 2009, Price had criticized the use of private jets by government officials as "fiscal irresponsibility run amok". Following ''Politico''s reporting on the matter, Price said that he would stop taking taxpayer-funded private jet flights pending a formal review by his department's inspector general. President Trump said that he was unhappy about Price's expenditures, but declined to state whether he would fire him. Price said later that September that he would reimburse taxpayers for $51,887, which he calculated as the cost of his seat on the more than $400,000 worth of charter flights. He also vowed to discontinue the use of private charter flights for his travel. Later that day, it was revealed that the expenditures for Price's charter and military flights were higher than $1 million, including flights taken by Secretary Price and his wife to Europe and Africa. ''Politico'' also noted that Price had, in June 2017, defended a proposal to cut $663,000 from HHS's $4.9 million annual travel budget. The reports from ''Politico'' sparked a larger inquiry into the use of private planes by Trump administration officials. The
House Oversight Committee The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the main investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee's broad jurisdiction and legislative authority make it one of the most influential and powerful panels in the ...
started a bipartisan investigation led by Representatives
Trey Gowdy Harold Watson "Trey" Gowdy III (born August 22, 1964) is an American television news personality, former politician, and former federal prosecutor who served as the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2019. His district included much of the Up ...
(R-SC) and
Elijah Cummings Elijah Eugene Cummings (January 18, 1951October 17, 2019) was an American politician and civil rights advocate who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1996 until his death in 2019, when he was succeeded by his predecess ...
(D-MD) of all use of private and government-owned planes by non-elected government officials of the Executive Branch on September 26, citing , which states "The travel of an employee shall be by the most expeditious means of transportation practicable and shall be commensurate with the nature and purpose of the duties of the employee requiring such travel." Senator
Chuck Grassley Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician serving as the president pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate, and the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States sen ...
(R-IA) also sent a letter to the White House asking to "detail what steps the administration has taken to ensure that cabinet secretaries use the most fiscally responsible travel in accordance with the public trust they hold and the spirit and letter of all laws, regulations, and policies that apply."


Resignation

On September 29, 2017, the White House announced that Price had resigned. Price, with a tenure of 231 days, became the shortest-serving Secretary of Health and Human Services in history. On July 13, 2018, the
inspector general An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general". Australia The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory off ...
of HHS issued a report finding that Price had repeatedly violated government travel rules and had wasted at least $341,000 through his use of chartered jets and military aircraft. The report recommended that the government attempt to recoup the money improperly spent on Price's travels.


Investment activity

In 2015–2016, according to congressional financial disclosures, Price purchased shares totaling between $60,000 and $110,000 in value in Innate Immunotherapeutics, an Australian
biotech Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...
company. Innate had no approved drugs and just one
multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
drug in trial. Price participated in a private placement of more shares in August 2016, paying $.25 and $.34 per share. Price invested between $50,000 and $100,000. On January 13, 2017, the shares were valued at $1.31, giving Price an unrealized gain of 300%–400% in a 6-month period. Price announced plans to sell several health care investments, including Innate, upon his confirmation as HHS Secretary. On January 16, 2017, CNN reported that Price had purchased shares in
Zimmer Biomet Zimmer Biomet is a publicly traded medical device company. It was founded in 1927 to produce aluminum splints. The firm is headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, where it is part of the medical devices business cluster. In 2001, Zimmer was spun off f ...
, a medical devices company. Zimmer Biomet is an S&P 500 component, in that every S&P 500 ETF and numerous mutual funds often trade Zimmer Biomet. Price had a diversified, broker-directed portfolio of hundreds of stocks in which investment decisions were made by a Morgan Stanley financial advisor, and that advisor had purchased these shares, in addition to approximately 70 other stocks, as a part of a periodic portfolio re-balancing. Less than a week after the stock purchase, Price introduced legislation, the HIP Act, that would delay a
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer M ...
regulation until 2018. Industry analysts had warned that those regulations would significantly hurt the company's finances. Following the introduction of the HIP Act, Zimmer Biomet's political action committee donated to Price's reelection campaign. When questioned about his financial dealings during his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate on January 18, 2017, Price said, " erything that we have done has been above-board, transparent, ethical, and legal." In March 2017,
ProPublica ProPublica (), legally Pro Publica, Inc., is a nonprofit organization based in New York City. In 2010, it became the first online news source to win a Pulitzer Prize, for a piece written by one of its journalists''The Guardian'', April 13, 2010P ...
reported that U.S. Attorney
Preet Bharara Preetinder Singh Bharara (; born October 13, 1968) is an Indian-born American lawyer, author, podcaster and former federal prosecutor who served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 2009 to 2017. He is current ...
had been investigating Price's stock trades before Bharara's dismissal from his post by Donald Trump. Price said that he had not received any indication of a federal investigation into his stock trades.


Personal life

Price and his wife,
Betty Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beat ...
, reside in Roswell, and have one child, Robert Price. Betty served on the Roswell City Council and was elected to the
Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. T ...
in a 2015 special election to succeed the late Harry Geisinger. Price is a
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
. In 2014, Price had a net worth of approximately $13.6 million.OpenSecrets: Tom Price
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See also

*
Physicians' Council for Responsible Reform The Physicians' Council for Responsible Reform was an advocacy group in the United States which opposed proposed legislation to change health care funding. According to its own website, the council sought "to defeat Members of Congress who suppor ...
*
Physicians in the United States Congress Physicians in the United States Congress have been a small minority of the members of Congress, with fluctuating numbers over the years. The number of physicians serving and running for Congress has risen over the last 50 years from 5 in 1960, do ...


References


External links


Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price
* * , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Price, Tom 1954 births 20th-century American physicians 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians American orthopedic surgeons American Presbyterians Christians from Michigan Emory University alumni Emory University faculty Republican Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators Living people Politicians from Lansing, Michigan Presbyterians from Georgia (U.S. state) Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) Trump administration cabinet members United States Secretaries of Health and Human Services University of Michigan Medical School alumni People from Roswell, Georgia