Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • ESG: THE IMPLEMENTATION IMPERATIVE
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Digital Health
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Transformation
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Unwell in America
  • Opinion
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top 25 Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
      • - Leaders to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Digital Health Transformation Summit
    • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - Digital Health
    • - Future of Staffing
    • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
  • Data Center
    • Data Center Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Newsletters
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Finance
April 24, 2013 01:00 AM

Democratic senator blocks vote on Tavenner nomination

Rich Daly
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Harkin

    (Story updated at 5:15 p.m. ET.)

    A Democratic senator has indefinitely blocked a Senate vote on Marilyn Tavenner's nomination to head the CMS.

    Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, placed a hold on Tavenner's nomination to keep the Senate from voting on it, his spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday. She declined to specify why Harkin blocked a vote on Tavenner but alluded to his concerns raised at an earlier hearing.

    At the Senate Appropriations Labor, HHS Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Harkin blasted a proposal in President Barack Obama's recently introduced fiscal 2014 budget to cut funding already allocated for an illness prevention fund.

    “However, I am greatly disappointed that the administration chose to help pay for the Affordable Care Act in fiscal year 2013 by raiding the Public Health and Prevention Fund,” Harkin said. “The Prevention Fund works. Thanks to this funding, more children are being immunized. More people are quitting smoking. More communities are fighting chronic disease. More people are being screened for hepatitis C. Robbing prevention when we know these efforts can improve people's health and lower healthcare costs goes against the very mission of healthcare reform.”

    Tavenner won voice vote approval on Tuesday from the Senate Finance Committee, clearing the way for a vote by the full Senate. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said later that day that he was unsure when he would schedule a vote on Tavenner but highlighted the broad bipartisan support for her.

    House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who has strongly backed his fellow Virginian's nomination, tweeted his support for Harkin's position on the prevention fund Wednesday, even as he urged confirmation of Tavenner.

    The administration's fiscal 2014 budget proposed diverting $453.8 million from the prevention fund to the CMS for enrollment in the health exchanges, which will begin enrollment on Oct. 1.

    Those proposed fund cuts were concerning enough to some backers of the fund to draw support for Harkin's actions.

    “He's using all of the legislative tools in his tool kit to get the administration's attention and make an important point about the prevention fund and its importance,” Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said in an interview.

    Benjamin supports Tavenner but expects Harkin will maintain the hold “long enough to get the administration's attention but not long enough to impede her confirmation.”

    A White House spokesman did not respond to requests for comment on Harkin's hold.

    Dr. Paul Jarris, executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said in an interview that his group was generally supportive of Harkin's efforts to champion the prevention fund but would not address his Tavenner hold.

    “Obviously he and we are extremely disappointed when we see money being diverted from its original intent into other purposes,” Jarris said.

    Jarris and other prevention advocates were critical of the HHS for previously transferring $332 million from the fund to help launch the exchanges.

    ”For example, the diversion of $332 million supporting prevention and public health into the exchanges is certainly something we understand his anger over and we share the concern about the negative and harmful impact that will have on our country,” Jarris said.

    Although Senate Democratic staff said a resolution to the hold will come down to discussions between Harkin and the White House, the senator is likely to hear from his colleagues.

    "I'm going to have a conversation with him," Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) told Modern Healthcare when asked about Harkin's hold.

    Warner lavished Tavenner with praise when he introduced his fellow Virginian at her confirmation hearing last week.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    sutter_i.jpg
    Sutter Health lost $249M in 2022 in reversal of fortune
    money arrows decrease down 2
    Bon Secours Mercy Health's 2022 losses exceed $1 billion
    Most Popular
    1
    More healthcare organizations at risk of credit default, Moody's says
    2
    Centene fills out senior executive team with new president, COO
    3
    SCAN, CareOregon plan to merge into the HealthRight Group
    4
    Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan unveils big push that lets physicians take on risk, reap rewards
    5
    Bright Health weighs reverse stock split as delisting looms
    Sponsored Content
    Daily Finance Newsletter: Sign up to receive daily news and data that has a direct impact on the business and financing of healthcare.
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Digital Health
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Unwell in America
    • Opinion
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Data Center
      • Data Center Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing