Capitol Correspondence - 02.23.21

After Delay, HHS Nominations Pick Up Steam

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After a slow start compared to other key agency nominations, we are seeing progress on two appointed leadership positions within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):

  • The Senate has scheduled two nomination hearings for Xavier Becerra for Secretary of HHS. The first will be held today from 10 am-4:30 pm EST by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, which oversees broader health policy issues. The second will be held by the Finance Committee, which oversees Medicaid, tomorrow from 2:30-5:30 pm EST. CSPAN will broadcast both hearings live.
  • President Biden nominated Chiquita Brooks-LaSure as Administrator of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), confirming rumors that have been circulating to that effect for the past two weeks. Learn more about her background in health insurance markets and as a health congressional staffer here.

ANCOR staff are working with the aforementioned Senate committees to submit questions on key disability issues for the record during Xavier Becerra’s hearing. We will keep members informed when a hearing date is set for Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and will likewise seek to submit questions for her nomination hearing.