With the election a week away, attention is turning to the next president's prospective nominees to head the federal health agencies, Victoria and Peter report.
- Former President Trump could draw on veterans from his first administration, along with wild cards like Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Vice President Kamala Harris could turn to some Biden administration officials or elevate key staff.
Here are some of the names in circulation:
Trump
Bobby Jindal: He's currently leading the health policy division of the America First Policy Institute, a Republican think tank mostly comprised of former Trump staffers.
- A former governor of Louisiana and principal adviser to the HHS secretary under former President George W. Bush, he could be in line to lead the department.
- At AFPI, he's promoted policies that would crack down on PBMs and implement Medicaid work requirements. Recently, he's also spoken about the impact and cost of allowing non-citizens to have access to government health care.
Eric Hargan: A deputy HHS secretary under Trump who briefly served as acting HHS secretary after the resignation of Tom Price, he also could be in line to return to the department.
- Hargan helped oversee Operation Warp Speed and assisted with pandemic initiatives like the provider relief fund and increased telehealth access.
Ben Carson: The retired neurosurgeon was Trump's HUD secretary and remains close friends with the former president.
- Active on the 2024 campaign trail, especially with evangelical voters and faith leaders, he was previously floated as a potential VP candidate and could return to Trump's Cabinet.
Brian Blase: He currently leads the Paragon Health Institute, a GOP health care think tank.
- Blase served in the Trump administration as the special assistant to the president for economic policy at the National Economic Council from 2017 to 2019.
- During that time, he worked on major health regulations, including on price transparency rules, individual coverage HRAs and association health plans.
Jim O'Neill: He's a Silicon Valley guy who also served a stint in HHS as the principal associate deputy secretary under George W. Bush.
- O'Neill's name was previously floated as a potential FDA head in the first Trump administration, and he's said that he supports reforming the FDA drug approval process so that efficacy is proved once drugs are on the market.
- He was the managing director for Mithril Capital Management, which is a Peter Thiel investment firm. He's invested in science and technology companies and has an interest in anti-aging treatments.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Casey and Calley Means:
- The anti-vaxxer and former independent presidential candidate is pushing an initiative known as "Make America Healthy Again," which is focused on chronic disease prevention and removing harmful toxins from the environment.
- Trump said at a Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday that he would let RFK Jr. "go wild" on health, food and medicines in a second administration.
- Casey and Calley Means are siblings and health entrepreneurs who are helping to run the MAHA movement. They've been mentioned for potential health roles, even if informal.
Harris
Harris is not surrounded by an extensive network of D.C. health policy people, so it's possible she could turn to some familiar faces from the Biden administration.
- Among staffers, perhaps the most influential on health is Rohini Kosoglu, a former congressional health policy staffer who moved up to be Harris' Senate chief of staff and the VP's domestic policy adviser.
Mandy Cohen: The CDC director could be nominated for HHS secretary or another high-ranking role.
- She is more politically experienced and savvy than the previous CDC director, Rochelle Walensky, who had not served in Washington.
- Cohen has drawn some praise even from Republicans for her work as North Carolina's health secretary during the pandemic.
Michelle Lujan Grisham: The New Mexico governor was said to be in the running for HHS secretary at the start of President Biden's term, and could be considered for the post again.
- She demurred when asked on a Monday press call with Protect Our Care if she is interested.
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure: The current CMS administrator could be tapped to be secretary or stay in her current role.
- She is a health policy veteran who has been at the center of efforts to negotiate lower drug prices, experience that could come in handy as Harris seeks to build on those efforts.
