Tom Price, MD, (R-Ga.) is the nation's new HHS secretary, The New York Times reports.
Here are eight things to know:
1. In the early hours of Friday morning, the Senate confirmed Dr. Price by a vote of 52 to 47.
2. Democrats did not support the nomination of Dr. Price for his views on ACA repeal and Medicare changes, CNN reports.
3. This confirmation concludes Dr. Price's rocky path to the Senate floor. On Jan. 31, 2017, Senate Finance Committee Democrats opted out of a committee vote on Dr. Price for HHS secretary, alleging he "misled" Congress during panel testimonies, with statements that strayed from facts, as reported by The Hill.
4. Specifically, Democrats wanted more information on Dr. Price's stock trades in Australia-based medical biotechnology company Innate Immunotherapeutics, Reuters reported. A Wall Street Journal article published in December 2016, revealed Dr. Price was among fewer than 20 U.S. investors who were able to buy discounted company shares. This conflicted with Dr. Price's testimony that all investors received access to these discounted shares.
5. When the committee reconvened on Feb. 1, 2017, the GOP members found themselves without their Democrat peers, again. The committee's rules require at least one Democrat be present during voting. To avoid a consecutive day of no voting, Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) decided to proceed with the vote sans Democrats, noting the Senate Parliamentarian approved the rule change.
6. As head of the HHS, Dr. Price will oversee a $1 trillion annual budget.
7. A physician hasn't served as the HHS secretary since Louis W. Sullivan, MD, during former President George H. W. Bush's administration.
8. Dr. Price, managing partner at Atlanta-area Chattahoochee Associates, has transferred ownership to his wife, Rep. Betty Price, MD, (R-Ga.), according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.