Bill talks with the well-respected Health Policy reporter Sandhya Raman of CQ-Roll Call to get a sense of what Trump’s nominees in the health field means for our health and healthcare. There are serious concerns raised by leading health professionals about Donald Trump's nominations to lead major health agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and others. The main concerns are that many of Trump's nominees lack prior experience in public health or healthcare policy, and some have controversial views on issues like vaccines and reproductive rights that could jeopardize public health. In particular, the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as HHS Secretary is highly controversial, as he is a well-known anti-vaxxer who could slow down the approval and distribution of vaccines, putting public health at risk. Other concerning nominees include Dr. Mehmet Oz for Medicare/Medicaid, and Dr. David Weldon for the CDC, who have expressed skepticism about vaccines and abortion rights. There are some guardrails that Congress could try to use to block or limit the ability of these nominees to implement harmful policies, but with a Republican trifecta in Washington, their options may be limited. Overall, the transcript suggests that the health of the nation could be in jeopardy under the Trump administration's health policy team, with potential impacts on vaccine distribution, maternal mortality rates, and access to reproductive healthcare.

Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by National Nurses United, the largest labor union of Nurses in America. More information at NationalNursesUnited.org

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