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Dr. Mehmet Oz, a television personality and failed U.S. Senate candidate, was confirmed Thursday as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The Senate confirmed Oz on a party-line vote of 53-45.
At least one Republican changed their mind on Oz this week. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, who had publicly opposed Oz’s nomination, said Monday that he would back the doctor after being reassured that Oz “now disavows his previous support for trans surgeries” and “walks back past criticism of state pro-life laws.”
Oz, a physician who gained national fame as a daytime TV show host with a history of promoting dubious health claims, had a largely rancor-free confirmation hearing last month. He did, however, decline to say that he opposed cuts to Medicaid, which Republicans have eyed for steep cuts. Like other Trump Cabinet nominees, Oz also refused to say whether he would follow a hypothetical unlawful order from President Donald Trump if he were to be confirmed.
Oz assumes the role as administrator of the CMS with little to no experience in government health policy. The agency, which is under the purview of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has a budget of about $1.5 trillion and provides health insurance to roughly 160 million Americans.