Senate Democrats will urge their Republican colleagues to postpone a scheduled committee vote Tuesday morning on the nomination of Rep. Tom Price, President Donald Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, by once again raising ethics concerns.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Orrin Hatch, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, four Democrats who sit on the Senate Health Committee will point to “serious concerns” over what they deem to be “outstanding and significant questions about (Price’s) qualifications and ethical conduct.”
The letter was shared with CNN Monday afternoon. Both the Senate Health and Finance committees held hearings with Price this month, and the Finance panel is set to vote on Price’s nomination Tuesday morning.
“A vote has been scheduled to advance Rep. Price’s nomination even though he has not responded to questions submitted by members of the HELP Committee following his January 18 testimony, and in spite of serious concerns regarding Rep. Price’s financial investments,” the letter reads.
The four Democrats — Sens. Patty Murray, Al Franken, Tammy Baldwin and Elizabeth Warren — argue that Price’s nomination should not move forward before the Georgia congressman has answered the committee’s questions “and has provided documents sought in connection with his inappropriate and potentially illegal investment activities.”
Murray, along with Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, have asked Price for copies of his brokerage statements. Their colleagues have also pressed for other information pertaining to Price’s past financial investments.
One issue that has repeatedly been raised as a red flag is Price’s decision to purchase stocks in an Australian biomedical company called Innate Immunotherapeutics. Democrats have raised concern that Price appears to have received information amounting to a “stock tip” from a fellow member of the House, GOP Rep. Chris Collins.
Price has denied this accusation.
“Everything that we have done has been above-board, transparent, ethical and legal,” Price told the Senate Health committee earlier this month.