The Senate Committee on Finance voted to advance the nomination of Chris Klomp to serve as deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The committee approved Klomp in a 15-12 vote on Thursday, with support from all Republicans and one Democratic senator. Klomp currently serves as senior adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and will now proceed to a final confirmation vote before the full Senate.
Klomp has already taken on significant responsibilities within the department, including brokering pharmaceutical pricing agreements and playing a role in high-level personnel decisions. His confirmation hearings revealed concerns among lawmakers about the extent of his influence within HHS. During testimony before the Finance Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions earlier in the week, Democratic senators and some Republicans questioned how he would exercise his authority and pressed him on matters related to vaccine policy and disease reporting practices at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Senators from both parties raised specific concerns during the hearings. One Republican committee chair called on Klomp to challenge his superiors if necessary to protect public health objectives. In his responses to the committees, Klomp acknowledged that his role would be substantial, noting that he holds responsibility for department operations and personnel matters. The committee also separately voted 14-13 to advance a second HHS nomination, that of Ge Bai for assistant secretary for planning and evaluation.
Klomp’s background includes previous work in the health care sector as a chief executive of a health IT company and as an adviser during a prior administration on health care policy. His appointment comes as part of the current administration’s efforts to staff key positions within HHS.
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