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Click in for more news from The Hill{beacon} Healthcare Healthcare The Big Story Democrats grill top Kennedy ally nominated to be HHS no. 2 The nominee to be the No. 2 official at the Department of Health and Human Services faced pointed questions from Senate Democrats during his confirmation hearing Tuesday in front of the Senate Finance Committee. © AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein Chris Klomp, nominated to be the deputy secretary of HHS, would be the agency’s second-in-command behind Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. Democrats pressed him on how closely he would hew to Kennedy’s controversial vaccine views. Klomp said his job is to “ensure smooth operations” and to earn people’s trust. “To sweep questions under the rug of those who are skeptical will not solve the problem.” Klomp wholeheartedly endorsed the safety of vaccines, but noted he was not an immunization expert. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) also pressed Klomp on President Trump’s Medicaid “most favored nation” drug pricing deals, grilling him on why the deals are so secretive. Klomp was instrumental in helping negotiate the agreements. “You’d think this administration would be tripping over themselves to make the details public if they actually helped Americans who are struggling to afford their prescription drugs,” said Wyden, the panel’s top Democrat. Warren demanded to know what the drug companies would be getting in return for their agreements to lower prices. “I want to know what was given away in these contracts,” Warren, said, including whether drug companies received tariff relief, exemptions from drug pricing demonstrations in Medicare, fast-track FDA approval, and higher prices abroad instead of lower prices in the U.S. Klomp said the details needed to remain confidential to avoid releasing trade secrets and other proprietary information. “I want to see what the deal is, and until then, you can stop telling us it was all great for the American people, but you just refused to show us the receipts,” Warren said. “That’s not how oversight works.” Democrats have been skeptical of the administration’s drug pricing deals, and the questions from Warren and Wyden show an oversight direction lawmakers could take if they were to win control of the Senate. Welcome to The Hill’s Healthcare newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the healthcare sector this week and beyond: Pennsylvania reports teen as fourth measles death amid feud with RFK Jr. Pennsylvania officials on Tuesday reported two additional measles-related deaths, bringing the total for the year to four. This is a record-setting year for measles in the U.S. The number of cases is at a 35-year high and there are more deaths than any year since 1992. The newest death according to state health officials was an unvaccinated person who lived in Mifflin County, located in Central Pennsylvania. County … Full Story House Democrats demand answers from CDC on Pennsylvania measles deaths House Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee are demanding answers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the agency’s refusal to accept Pennsylvania’s reporting of two measles deaths, the first in 35 years. The committee’s ranking member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) sent a letter to new agency director Erica Schwartz, calling for a briefing on CDC’s measles response, including why it hasn’t … Full Story Abbott agrees to settle DOJ lawsuit over baby formula plant contamination Abbott Laboratories will pay $385 million to settle allegation related to how it operated a manufacturing plant tied to contaminated powdered baby formula suspected of causing infant deaths. Contamination led to the nation’s largest formula facility being shuttered temporarily in 2022, triggering a recall of several infant formula brands, including Similac, exacerbating existing supply chain difficulties and causing … Full Story In Other News Branch out with a different read:Carrie Hughes: Health and human services director, House Education and the Workforce Committee Carrie Hughes knows she is somewhat of a rarity on Capitol Hill. Her first job as a congressional aide was in the office of Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.). Eighteen years later, he’s the only member she has worked for. Hughes started in Scott’s personal office and now serves as the director of Health and Human Services for the House Education and the Workforce Committee, where Scott is the ranking member. “I do know … Full Story Around the Nation Local and state headlines on healthcare: Montana’s $25M rural health award blocked due to potential conflict of interest (Independent Record) Studies link New Mexico drilling to radiation, air pollution, health risks (High Country News) Rising healthcare costs have hit Georgia's most conservative district. But its politics are unlikely to change. (KFF Health News) What We're Reading Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets: Pennsylvania woman’s measles death shows risks to people with health problems (NBC) Medicare’s AI prior authorization pilot was rushed and full of problems, new documents reveal (Stat) HELP chair plans surprise billing roundtable for next week (BGov) What People Think Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: From 9/11 to burn pits, we must deal with long-term effects of toxic exposure I bought an opioid at the gas station, and it was legal. That’s a problem. You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow! [sailthru_widget name="Sailthru Widget Block" sailthru_list="Health Care" title="Health Care"]document fetched 2026-09-16 02:56 · canonical https://thehill.com/newsletters/healthcare/6091870-democrats-grill-hhs-nominee