FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 18th, 2017

Contact:
Linda Benesch, lbenesch@socialsecurityworks.org

Rep. Tom Price Should Face Criminal Investigation

(Washington, DC) — The following is a statement from Nancy Altman, J.D., founding co-director of Social Security Works, in reaction to Tom Price’s confirmation hearing in the Senate HELP Committee today:

“Due to Rep. Tom Price’s long record of seeking to dismantle Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, we have opposed his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services since it was announced. The hearing provided no cause for optimism on that front, with Price refusing to say if he would honor Donald Trump’s pledge to protect these vital benefits. We also have been concerned that Mr. Price abused his public trust for private gain, lining his own pockets by buying big pharma stocks while co-sponsoring legislation to block a proposal to regulate those corporations. Today’s hearing did nothing to allay those concerns, either.

For all those reasons, we have called for Trump to withdraw Price’s nomination, and for the Senate to vote Price down if that doesn’t happen. But the new revelations that came to light in today’s hearing call for much more than that.

The hearing revealed that Price purchased stock, at a preferred price, based on what appears to be insider information. That raises serious legal questions. If Price has broken the law, he should be expelled from Congress. To determine whether he has, the matter should be immediately referred to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice for a thorough investigation and appropriate legal action.”