“Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo is now a top contender to be Joe Biden’s HHS secretary, just days before the president-elect is expected to announce an initial slate of health care picks, POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein, Adam Cancryn and Tyler Pager report.”
“The 49-year-old impressed Biden officials during her vice presidential vetting over the summer, and had been under consideration for multiple roles in the new administration. Raimondo — who is in her fifth year as governor — also boasts the management experience seen as necessary to run the sprawling health department.”
“— Raimondo’s rise comes as another governor falls. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is now believed unlikely to win the HHS job, after she recently turned down a separate offer to head the Interior Department.”
“That rejection hurt her chances at other roles within the administration, and a pair of reports Wednesday portraying her as the frontrunner for HHS secretary also didn’t sit well with people in Biden’s orbit.”
“Another top candidate, former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, remains hampered by his lack of management experience — though he’s expected to get some kind of high-level role in Biden’s administration.”
“— Raimondo’s candidacy drew immediate fire from the left. A former venture capitalist, Raimondo has angered progressives and unions over her role in cutting Rhode Island’s pension benefits and seeking to further privatize the state’s Medicaid program…” Read the full article here.
Source: Raimondo rising in race to be Biden’s health secretary – By Adam Cancryn and Dan Diamond, December 3, 2020. POLITICO.
