Washington, D.C. - Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today on new reports that Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma directed millions of dollars in contracts to Republican communications consultants:
“These contracts are a highly questionable use of taxpayer dollars. Given that this agency should be spending tax dollars to ensure Americans can access quality health care, it is particularly egregious that it is using millions to ensure its Administrator has access to outside public relations and image building services. I intend to ask the HHS OIG to immediately begin an investigation into how these contracts were approved, whether all regulations and ethical guidelines were followed, and why taxpayers are stuck paying for these unnecessary services. This is not the way to drain the swamp."
