Trump names HHS secretary replacement

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Monday nominated Alex Azar to be the next secretary of health and human services. Azar, 50, is a former pharmaceutical company executive and a veteran of the George W. Bush administration. He served as deputy secretary of health and human services from 2005 to 2007. Before that he spent four years as the department’s general counsel. “He will be a star for better healthcare and lower drug prices!” Trump tweeted Monday morning. If the Senate confirms Azar, he will step into the role previously held by Tom Price, who resigned in September after reports alleged he spent $1 million on private and government air travel during his brief stint in office. Price, a former U.S. representative from Georgia, played an integral role in the effort to repeal and replace Obamacare before Congress failed to pass the legislation earlier this year. Trump recently announced new executive orders to help sell healthcare plans across state lines to increase competition and lower rates under Obamacare. If confirmed, Azar will take on the task of implementing Trump’s request in accordance with the Affordable Care Act. Azar advised Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign and supported former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and then Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas during the 2016 presidential campaign. After Trump became the GOP nominee, Azar donated money to his campaign.