Earlier this week, Donald Trump announced that he will nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as his Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator. He wants Oz to “work closely” with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who the president-elect appointed to run the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Now, Oz has earned himself a very unexpected endorsement. Indeed, it’s safe to say that nobody saw this one coming.
Back in 2022, Oz lost to Democrat John Fetterman in Pennsylvania’s close 2022 U.S. Senate race. That’s why it’s come as a surprise that Senator Fetterman has already thrown his support behind Oz in his new position!
This was revealed on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, by CNN’s Manu Raju.
From X:
On Oz’s nomination to head the health agency overseeing Medicare and Medicaid, Fetterman very much open to voting for his confirmation.“I’m going to be very, very clear if Dr. Oz agrees to protect and preserve Medicaid and Medicare, I’m absolutely going to vote for the dude,” he told me. “That’s the most important thing for me. Our politics are obviously different, and we do have a history, but I don’t have any bitterness. I don’t hold anything against him. As long as he’s willing to protect and preserve Medicaid and Medicare, I’m voting for the dude.”
If even Fetterman is backing Oz, his fellow Democrats can’t be too angry about this appointment!
As CMS administrator, Oz would have lots of power over the health coverage for the more than 160 million Americans in Medicare, Medicaid and other health programs. He’s been an outspoken supporter of Medicare Advantage, the Medicare-approved private option that has become popular as of late.
Trump Praises Oz
Trump has expressed his full confidence in Oz’s abilities.
“Our broken Healthcare System harms everyday Americans, and crushes our Country’s budget,” Trump lamented. “Dr. Oz will be a leader in incentivizing Disease Prevention, so we get the best results in the World for every dollar we spend on Healthcare in our Great Country.”
Trump went on to say that Oz “will also cut waste and fraud within our Country’s most expensive Government Agency, which is a third of our Nation’s Healthcare spend[ing], and a quarter of our entire National Budget.”
Senate moderates have joined Fetterman in celebrating Oz. Moderate Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said that Oz is “well respected” as a physician.
“It may well be helpful to have someone who has been a health care provider running that agency because they would have a whole different perspective,” Collins continued.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), the incoming chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, praised Oz’s nomination as being a “great opportunity to help patients and implement conservative health reforms.”
The conservative health establishment is also rejoicing over Oz’s nomination. Mark McClellan, the former CMS administrator under then-President George W. Bush, said that Oz “has shown he can inspire Americans to stay as healthy as possible.”
“He can help inspire CMS to build on its important steps in this direction, through coverage and payment reforms that pay for innovative care that works, not just more medical services,” said McClellan, who serves on the boards of both insurer Cigna and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson.
We’re glad to see Fetterman joining moderates in backing Oz. In the end, Oz is the perfect person to help Trump make America healthy again!
Key Takeaways:
- Fetterman backs Dr. Oz two years after their Senate race.
- Trump will nominate Oz as his Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator.
- Moderates are also backing Oz for this role.
Sources: Manu Raju X, Fox News, Politico
