Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today after President-elect Joe Biden announced several key nominations and appointments of his incoming health care team, which includes Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services; Dr. Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General; Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, COVID-19 Equity Task Force Chair; Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Adviser to the President on COVID-19; Jeff Zients, Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response and Counselor to the President; and Natalie Quillian, Deputy Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response:
“I am pleased by the health care team President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris are bringing together. This is an A-Team of experienced, proven leaders that I am confident will be prepared on day one to effectively lead the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have no doubt this team will follow the science and will aggressively develop and implement a coordinated, national strategy for testing, contact tracing, treatment, and a vaccine.
“In addition to working together to bring an end to this crisis, the Energy and Commerce Committee stands ready to work together with the Biden Administration on lowering the cost of health care, building on the Affordable Care Act, reining in the soaring cost of prescription drugs, closing health care disparities, and rebuilding our public health system. It’s also critical that we restore faith in our health care agencies, which have been severely undermined over the last four years and where morale is dangerously low.
“I congratulate the entire team and urge the Senate to move quickly on confirmations so that we can get to work on delivering for the American people."
