US Senate Finance Committee backs Chris Klomp’s nomination — The Hill

The US Senate Finance Committee has supported Chris Klomp’s nomination for the position of Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services. The decision was made by a vote of 15 to 12, The Hill reports. The nomination must now be put to a vote by the full Senate.

Committee vote

All Republicans on the committee supported Klomp. They were joined by Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

Klomp already serves as a senior adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He took part in Donald Trump administration negotiations with pharmaceutical companies on drug pricing agreements and in personnel decisions.

During last week’s hearing, Klomp said that his duties would include ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the department and responsibility for personnel matters. According to him, his task is to ensure that the department has everything it needs.

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Questions about vaccines and drug prices

During the hearing, Klomp was asked about vaccines and how he would respond to statements by President Donald Trump and Kennedy on the issue. Senate Finance Committee lead Democrat Ron Wyden said he wants to see someone in the position who would stand up to false claims.

During the vote, Wyden said that Kennedy lied when he promised not to restrict access to vaccines or discourage people from getting vaccinated. The senator also called Klomp complicit in these, in his words, false claims.

Separately, Wyden demanded the disclosure of details of drug pricing agreements in negotiations involving Klomp. The agreements are expected to exempt drugs from certain Medicare-mandated price reductions and protect companies from tariffs. In return, the companies agreed to sell certain medicines to the Medicaid program at the same price as in comparable countries. The details of the agreements remain undisclosed.