The Senate Finance Committee voted in line with party policy Tuesday afternoon to advance President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet Oz.
The party vote, which saw 14 GOP senators vote in favor of Oz’s nomination and 13 Democrats opposed it, follows two hearings by the Senate Finance Committee that investigated OZ on plans for a federal healthcare program, his views on abortion, and conflicts of interest in the healthcare industry.
“Dr. Oz has years of experience as a celebrated physician and public health advocate. His background is sure to give him a unique qualification for this role and work tirelessly to bring about much needed change in CMS.”
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Dr. Mehmet Oz greets Senator Marsha Blackburn on March 14, 2025, prior to a confirmation hearing of the Senate Finance Committee at Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Ben Cartis)
Oz graduated from Harvard University and earned a degree in medical and business from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a former cardiac surgeon and saw his appearance on daytime television and his reputation rose throughout 13 seasons of “The Dr Oz Show.”
Oz later moved into politics and began a failed bid for Pennsylvania Senate seat in 2022. He ended up losing to the state’s lieutenant governor, John Fetterman.
When confirmed by the Senate as a whole, Oz will be responsible for around $1.5 trillion in federal health care costs. According to the Centers for Medicare Advocacy, a federal healthcare program for seniors aged 65 and over, currently covers around 65 million Americans. Medicaid, which supports low-income people, covers around 72 million Americans, according to Medicaid.gov.
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OZ’s leadership will revise decisions related to procedures within federal health programs, hospital stays, how they cover their medications, and the rate at which healthcare providers receive payments for services.
Senate candidate Mehmet Oz will be greeted by Donald Trump at a rally at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania on September 3, 2022. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Earlier this month, Trump’s selections to lead the NIH and FDA, Dr. Jay Batacharya and Dr. Marty McCurry, were also approved by committee, awaiting a full confirmation vote in the Senate scheduled for Tuesday. It is unclear when the full Senate vote for Oz will take place.
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Around the same time Bhattacharya and McCurry were awarded the committee’s approval, Trump feared that he had withdrawn the nomination of former Florida MP David Weldon and had no GOP support to run the CDC and clear the full confirmation. On Monday, the Trump administration named Susan Monares, acting director of the CDC, the new candidate.
