Senate committee advances Klomp as HHS No. 2

A key Senate committee Thursday advanced the nomination of Chris Klomp to be deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), setting him up for a later floor vote for confirmation.

The Senate Finance Committee voted 15-12, with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) joining all Republicans. 

Klomp is already a powerful senior adviser to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He has led negotiations over “most favored nation” drug pricing deals between the Trump administration and pharmaceutical companies, and he has been actively involved in high-profile hiring decisions. 

“Part of my responsibility is to enable the smooth operations of the department. I’m responsible for personnel, among other things,” Klomp said last week during his confirmation hearings........

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