WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the Senate Finance Committee today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) opposed advancing Dr. Mehmet Oz’s nomination to be the next Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that provides health care to over 100 million Americans. Senator Welch released the following statement after the vote: 

“A major responsibility of the person overseeing the Medicare and Medicaid programs–services more than 150,000 Vermonters rely on–is to fight excessive charges. We spend the most and get the least and need to be doing everything we can to get folks a fair price for their prescription drugs. It was clear after his nomination hearing that Dr. Oz is not the right person to lead CMS and will not crack down on excessive pricing in health care. He’s spent years promoting debunked health products to the public for his own gain and will enable President Trump as he rips away the health care millions of seniors, children, and families depend on.” 

Earlier this month in the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Welch pressed Dr. Oz about how the Trump Administration plans to eliminate rip-offs for patients and excessive pricing in private equity and Medicare Advantage to lower prescription drug prices.   

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