Exclusive: GOP senator demands "extensive" vetting for Trump health appointees
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Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) during a Senate HELP Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on Sept. 24. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called Wednesday for President-elect Trump's health administration appointees to face "extensive committee investigations" as part of the Senate's confirmation process.
Why it matters: Collins' comments echo concerns from some on Capitol Hill that Trump may forgo the traditional confirmation process in favor of recess appointments, and skip several vetting steps for appointed candidates.
What she's saying: Opting to allow recess appointments without congressional approval, would "avoid and evade the Senate's constitutional duty to do advice and consent," Collins said at an Axios event on the future of cognitive care.
- To her, "that means a background check, it means extensive committee investigations and questionnaires and public hearings," she told Axios' Peter Sullivan.
- Collins, who called for additional federal funding for Alzheimer's and other cognitive care research, said there "could be" an upheaval at the NIH, FDA and other key divisions due to Trump's health agency administration picks.
The big picture: Trump has tapped ex-Independent presidential nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services — an agency he could dramatically reshape.
- He also selected TV personality Mehmet Oz to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Oz has no experience running a large government bureaucracy.
While the Senate Finance Committee ultimately confirms the HHS secretary and CMS director, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP), on which Collins serves, will also hold a hearing, she told Axios.
State of play: Incoming HELP chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has applauded Oz's appointment and said he will "look forward" to learning more about Kennedy's policy positions. He also lauded him for having "championed issues like healthy foods and the need for greater transparency in our public health infrastructure."
- Collins told Axios earlier this month she has not taken a position on Kennedy's nomination.
- When asked about Kennedy's pending promotion, Cassidy told Axios, "You need to speak to the person who you're considering before you make up your mind."
Zoom out: The conversation over Trump's request for recess appointments threatens to bubble into a battle between the next commander-in-chief and Senate Republicans who do not wish to shirk their advice-and-consent role.
- Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has signaled an openness to the idea — but not all of his Republican colleagues in the chamber agree, including outgoing Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Go deeper: Meet the GOP's Senate resistance
Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to say the Senate Finance Committee (not the HELP committee) will hold confirmation hearings for Trump-nominated CMS director Mehmet Oz.
