The Senate Finance Committee is preparing to vote later today on President Donald Trump’s nominee for the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Dr. Mehmet Oz. This decision follows two hearings where the committee questioned Oz about his vision for federal healthcare programs, his stance on abortion, potential conflicts of interest in healthcare, and more.
If Dr. Oz is confirmed, he will oversee nearly $1.5 trillion in federal healthcare spending, managing Medicare—which currently serves about 65 million seniors—and Medicaid, which supports roughly 72 million low-income individuals.
Dr. Oz is a former heart surgeon and gained national recognition through his popular daytime television show, which aired for 13 seasons. He also ventured into politics, running for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat in 2022, although he was ultimately defeated.
A graduate of Harvard, Dr. Oz holds medical and business degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. In his role at CMS, he would have significant influence over government decisions related to healthcare procedures, hospital stays, medications, and reimbursement rates for healthcare providers.
Earlier this month, other nominees from Trump, including Dr. Jay Bhattacharya for the National Institutes of Health and Dr. Marty Makary for the Food and Drug Administration, successfully passed committee approval and are now waiting for their final votes in the Senate.
In a related move, Trump recently withdrew his nomination for David Weldon to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, citing concerns over his lack of GOP support for successful confirmation. Instead, Susan Monarez, the acting director of the CDC, has been named as the new nominee.
