Biden eyes New Mexico governor, Obama surgeon general for health secretary [View all]
Politico
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy have emerged as top contenders to be Joe Bidens health secretary.
By ADAM CANCRYN and ALICE MIRANDA OLLSTEIN
11/24/2020 08:37 PM EST
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy have emerged as top contenders to be President-elect Joe Bidens health secretary, with Hispanic advocacy groups making a strong push for Lujan Grisham.
The nomination of Lujan Grisham, 61, would continue a tradition of presidents tapping governors to lead the sprawling Department of Health and Human Services, and make her the first Latina ever nominated for the post. Murthy, a 43-year-old Yale-educated internist whos grown close to Biden as a top adviser on the coronavirus pandemic, would be the first nominee of Indian descent for the departments top job.
Either would face potentially tough confirmation hearings as the Biden administration begins coordinating one of the largest immunization programs in history and confronts the economic fallout of a pandemic thats left tens of millions of people out of work and uninsured. The next secretary will play a key role in managing the Covid-19 response, and convincing a fatigued and distrustful public to buy into the tough public health measures needed to suppress the virus.
Its Covid 24/7 now, said Don Berwick, a former Obama administration Medicare and Medicaid chief. Thats got to be dealt with.
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