Democrats May Be Giving Up On Medicare Chief’s Confirmation
Politico: Sources: Democrats Giving Up On Donald BerwickSenate Democrats have given up on confirming Don Berwick as CMS administrator in the wake of a letter from 42 Republican senators opposing the nomination, sources tell POLITICO. Citing the GOP letter, a person familiar with the situation said Senate Democrats and the White House "can do the arithmetic" and now see that there's no way for Berwick to get the 60 votes needed to clear the Senate. At a meeting with health care lobbyists Friday, Democratic Senate Finance Committee staffers indicated that the nomination is dead, that there will be no confirmation hearing, and that they'll soon be discussing "next steps" for CMS, sources said (Coughlin, 3/4). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.