“…not only a sad day for marriage, but further judicial destruction of our entire system of checks and balances.”
—Tom Price, on the implications and ‘consequences’ of same-sex marriage.
Fmr. Secretary of Health & Human Services
Feb. 10, 2017 – Sep. 29, 2017
Another record holder of the Trump administration, Tom Price served the shortest tenure as Secretary of HHS in the department’s history, resigning in shame only 231 days into the job. After an investigation by his own departments’ inspector general found Price had wasted at least $400,000 on unnecessary private jet and use of military aircraft while serving as Secretary. The inspector generals’ report advised the government to pursue reimbursement from Price (of which Price is expected to repay as little as 15% of).
And – despite being the head of Health & Human Services – Price endorsed a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in spite of estimates that the plan would result in 24 million fewer insured Americans. The plan was fortunately unsuccessful, but serves as testament to Prices priorities.
Estimated net worth (2016): $14,000,000
Notables
- While HHS secretary, claimed the ACA’s ‘individual mandate’ increased health care costs but admitted after his resignation that repealing it would of course increase health care costs.
Price: Repealing the individual mandate ‘will harm’ people insured through Obamacare | USA Today (5.1.18)
- Bought $90,000 worth of stock in six pharmaceutical companies while fighting a rule that would impact the investments performance – and did so at the behest of lobbyists from the same companies.
Price Intervened on Rule That Would Hurt Drug Profits, Same Day He Acquired Stock | ProPublica (3.31.17)
- Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara (prior to being dismissed by Trump) was allegedly investigating Price, possibly for insider trading in relation to companies whose market performance was directly influenced by legislation Price was both writing and voting on.
Fired U.S. Attorney Said to Have Been Investigation Tom Price | ProPublica (3.17.17)
- Price purchased stocks in multiple drug companies and fought legislation that proposed limiting how much drug companies would be permitted to pay doctors for prescribing their drugs.
Tom Price, Dr. Personal Enrichment | New York Times (2.7.17)
- Voted to defund Planned Parenthood, co-sponsored multiple anti-abortion bills, and consistently votes against reproductive rights.
Tom Price: The Facts | ACLU
Tom Price: From Private Jets To Private Citizen | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (9.30.17)
Image credit: Gage Skidmore