The committee recommended Ms. Verma’s confirmation to the full Senate in a 13-12 vote along party lines, according to the article. This was the second committee vote this week. The committee was forced to vote again after a vote Wednesday ended in a tie.
The committee’s Democratic ranking member Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said Wednesday Ms. Verma’s responses to senators’ questions were “a lot of happy talk that didn’t amount to much substance,” The Washington Post reports.
However, the report states Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, showed support for Ms. Verma, saying she would offer “experienced and responsible leadership” in collaborating with lawmakers on “the challenges plaguing both Medicare and Medicaid . . . to improve these programs and help enact the necessary reforms to ensure their solvency for future generations.”
Ms. Verma heads SVC, a national health policy consulting company based in Indianapolis. Her bio on the SVC website highlights her experience redesigning Medicaid programs, and specifically notes her role as architect of Indiana’s version of Medicaid expansion.
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