Tom Price (U.S. politician)

Tom Price
Chair of the House Budget Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Paul Ryan
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 6th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2005
Preceded by	Johnny Isakson
Member of the Georgia Senate from the 56th district
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2005
Preceded by	Sallie Newbill
Succeeded by	Dan Moody
Personal details
Born	Thomas Edmunds Price (1954-10-08) October 8, 1954 Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Betty Clark
Children	1
Alma mater	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (BA, MD)

Thomas Edmunds "Tom" Price (born October 8, 1954) is an American physician and politician who is the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 6th congressional district, serving since 2005. A member of the Republican Party, Price's district serves the northern suburbs of Atlanta. He previously served as chairman of the Republican Study Committee and the Republican Policy Committee.^[1][2] Price currently serves as chairman of the House Budget Committee.^[3]

On November 29, 2016 it was announced that Price would be nominated for Secretary of Health and Human Services by President-elect Donald Trump when he takes office.^[4]

Early life, education, and medical career

Price was born in the Michigan capital, Lansing. He grew up in Dearborn, where he attended Adams Jr. High and Dearborn High School.

He graduated with an M.D. from the University of Michigan Health System. He completed his residency at Emory University in Atlanta, and decided to settle in the suburb of Roswell, where he still lives. He is a past President of the Roswell Rotary Club and has served on the Boards of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.^[5]

He ran an orthopedic clinic in Atlanta for 20 years before returning to Emory as assistant professor of orthopedic surgery. Price also was the director of the orthopedic clinic at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital.

Georgia Senate (1996–2005)

Elections

In 1996, State Senator Sallie Newbill (R) decided not to run for re-election. Price was the Republican nominee for Georgia's 56th senate district. In the November general election, he defeated Democrat Ellen Milholland 71%–29%.^[6] In 1998, he won re-election to a second term by defeating her in a rematch, 75%–25%.^[7] In 2000 and 2002, he won re-election to a third and fourth term unopposed.^[8][9]

Committee assignments

• Administrative Affairs
• Appropriations
• Economic Development and Tourism (Vice Chair)
• Education^[10]
• Ethics
• Insurance and Labor
• Health and Human Services
• Reapportionment
• Reapportionment and Redistricting (Chair)
• Rules (Secretary)
• Veterans and Consumer Affairs^[11]

U.S. House of Representatives (2005–present)

Elections

Price in 2005

2004

In 2004, U.S. Congressman Johnny Isakson of Georgia's 6th congressional district decided not to run for re-election in order to run for the U.S. Senate. No Democrat even filed, meaning that whoever won the Republican primary would be virtually assured of being the district's next congressman. The 6th district was so heavily Republican that any Democratic candidate would have faced nearly impossible odds in any event. Six other Republican candidates filed to run, most notably state senators Robert Lamutt and Chuck Clay. Price was the only major candidate from Fulton County, while Lamutt and Clay were both from Cobb County. On July 20, 2004, Price ranked first with 35% of the vote, but failed to reach the 50% threshold needed to win the Republican nomination. Lamutt qualified for the run-off, ranking second with 28% of the vote. Price won two of the district's three counties: Fulton with 63% and Cherokee with 35%. Lamutt carried Cobb with 31% of the vote.^[12] In the August 10 run-off election, Price defeated Lamutt 54%–46%. They split the vote in Cherokee, but Price carried Fulton by a landslide of 79% of the vote. Lamutt couldn't eliminate that deficit as he won Cobb with just 59% of the vote.^[13] Price won the general election unopposed.^[14]

2006

In 2006, Price drew one primary challenger, John Konop, whom he easily defeated 82%–18%.^[15] In November, he won re-election to a second term with 72% of the vote.^[16]

2008–2014

Price won re-election in 2008 (68%),^[17] 2010 (99.9%),^[18] and 2012 (65%).^[19]

2016

Tom Price won the election in 2016 against Rodney Stooksbury (Democratic). Price received 61.6% of the votes.

Tenure

Congressman Price speaking at the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)

Congressman Price speaking at Freedomworks New Fair Deal Rally outside the US Capitol

In 2011, Price voted to prohibit funding of National Public Radio,^[20] to terminate the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program,^[21] to extend the USAPATRIOT act,^[22][23] to repeal portions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 on multiple occasions,^[24][25] to reduce non-security discretionary spending to 2008 levels^[26][27][28] (and subsequently voted against several amendments offered via motions to recommit with instructions),^[29] to reduce Federal spending and the deficit by terminating taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns and party conventions,^[30] to provide funding for government agencies, including the Department of Defense, through September 30, 2011,^[31] to cut the Federal Housing Authority's refinancing program,^[32] and against a resolution which would force the president to withdraw American forces from Iraq.^[33] In 2013, he was the main sponsor of the Require a PLAN Act (mandating that the President identify a fiscal year in the budget will be balanced).^[34][35] He voted for the No Budget, No Pay Act^[36][37] and a resolution establishing a budget for the United States Government for FY 2014 that passed the House of Representatives.^[38]

Tom Price opposes abortion and supported the proposed Protect Life Act, which would have denied Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) funding to health care plans that offered abortion (the PPACA already prevented public funding covering abortions) and allowed hospitals to decline to provide emergency abortion care.^[39][40] He was rated at 100 by the National Right to Life Center. He was rated at 0 by Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America.^[41][42] He participated in the 2011 March for Life.^[43]

Tom Price opposes gun control. He praised the Supreme Court's decisions in District of Columbia v. Heller, which found that the absolute prohibition of handguns in the District of Columbia was unconstitutional, and McDonald v. Chicago, which stated that the Second Amendment applied to the states.^[44] He was given an "A" grade by the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund, a 92% approval rating overall from the National Rifle Association and an 83% approval rating^[45] from the Gun Owners of America, and a 0% approval rating from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.^[42][46]

Tom Price voted against a bill prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation (Nov 2007). He voted in favor of constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman (Jul 2006). Representative Price voted against H.R. 2965, which would have ended Don't ask, don't tell. He receives a 0% rating by the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights organization.^[47]

Tom Price does not support federal regulation of farming. He has voted against regulating and restricting farmers, earning him a 70% from the American Farm Bureau Federation. However, due to this belief, the National Farmers Union gave him a 0% approval rate.^[48] He supported the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act, stating that it would keep the Environmental Protection Agency from applying too many regulations to farming and ranching.^[49] He also voted for the Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012 which, had it become law, would have made supplemental agricultural disaster assistance available, if needed.^[50][51]

In 2008 Price signed a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity promising to vote against any Global Warming legislation that would raise taxes.^[52]

Legislation

Price speaking on a panel about healthcare at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference.

Price is the sponsor of the Empowering Patients First Act (EPFA), which he first introduced in the 111th Congress and has reintroduced in each Congress since then. Originally intended to be a Republican alternative to Democratic efforts to reform the health care system, it has since been positioned by Price and other Republicans as a potential replacement to the PPACA. The bill, among other things, creates and expands tax credits for purchasing health insurance, allows for some interstate health insurance markets, and reforms medical malpractice lawsuits.

Price introduced the Pro-Growth Budgeting Act of 2013 (H.R. 1874; 113th Congress) on May 8, 2013.^[53] The bill would require the Congressional Budget Office to provide a macroeconomic impact analysis for bills that are estimated to have a large budgetary effect.^[54] Price said it was necessary because of the Congressional Budget Office's current method of reviewing bills just to see what they would cost. Price said "that is a model that has proven to be incapable of providing the type of macroeconomic diagnosis folks need to make sure we are pursuing policies that will help generate economic opportunity and bring down the nation's debt."^[55] H.R. 1874 has passed the House but has yet to become law.

In total, Price has sponsored 55 bills, including:^[56]

109th Congress (2005–2006)

• H.R. 3693, a bill to prevent all illegal border crossings after a certain date, introduced September 7, 2005
• H.R. 3860, a bill to require each state and U.S. territory to maintain a sex offender registry, to increase punishments for sexual and violent crimes against children and minors, and to require background checks of individuals before approval of adoptive or foster services, introduced September 22, 2005
• H.R. 3941, a bill to reduce foreign oil consumption to less than 25% of total oil consumption by no later than 2015, introduced September 29, 2005, reintroduced in the 110th Congress as H.R. 817
• H.R. 6133, a bill to create national standards for work in laboratories that includes requiring proficiency in cytology or the study of cells, introduced September 21, 2006. H.R. 6133's companion bill was S. 4056.

110th Congress (2007–2008)

• H.R. 1685, a bill to require holders of personal financial data to increase security of such data, introduced March 26, 2007
• H.R. 1761, a bill to create a competitive grant program to reward such grants to educational institutions and systems to develop and implement performance-based compensation systems for teachers to encourage teachers to improve educational outcomes, introduced March 29, 2007, reintroduced in the 111th Congress as H.R. 3683
• H.R. 2626, a bill to allow for tax credits and deductions for purchasing health insurance, to revise government employer contribution amounts, to reform malpractice lawsuits, to provide financial aid to introduce health information technology, to allow for a tax credit for emergency room physicians to offset costs incurred because of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, and to promote interstate health insurance markets, introduced June 7, 2007. This bill served as the precursor to EPFA, and most of H.R. 2626's provisions are included in EPFA.
• H.R. 4464, a bill to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to clarify that it is not unlawful for any employer to require proficiency in English as a condition of employment, introduced December 12, 2007, reintroduced in the 111th Congress as H.R. 1588
• H.R. 6910, a bill to expand oil and natural gas drilling and use revenue generated from such drilling to fund monetary rewards for advancing the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of alternative fuel vehicles, introduced September 18, 2008

111th Congress (2009–2010)

• H.R. 464, a bill to require states to cover 90% of eligible children for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in the program for households with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL), with special rules above 200% of the FPL, to prohibit SCHIP from funding child health care for children in households above 250% of the FPL, and to require more than one health plan to be offered in SCHIP, introduced January 13, 2009. Modified versions of this bill's provisions make up Title IV of EPFA.
• H.R. 3140, a bill to repeal all unpaid provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to terminate the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), and to allocate TARP repayments to reducing the federal government's public debt, introduced July 9, 2009
• H.R. 3372, a bill to develop best practice guidelines for treating medical conditions and to reform malpractice lawsuits, introduced July 29, 2009, reintroduced in the 112th Congress as H.R. 2363. Modified versions of this bill's provisions make up Title V of EPFA.
• H.R. 6170, a bill to prevent the Secretary of Health and Human Services from precluding an enrollee, participant, or beneficiary in a health benefits plan from entering into any contract or arrangement for health care with any health care provider, excluding Medicaid and TRICARE, introduced September 22, 2010. This bill's provisions are included in Title X of EPFA.
• H.R. 6171, a bill to prevent the Secretary of Health and Human Services or any state from requiring any health care provider to participate in any health plan as a condition of licensure of the provider in any state, introduced September 22, 2010, reintroduced in the 112th and 113th Congresses as H.R. 969. This bill's provisions are included in Title X of EPFA.

112th Congress (2011–2012)

• H.R. 1700, a bill to allow for Medicare beneficiaries to contract with any health care professionals that provide care covered under the Medicare program, with special circumstances, introduced March 3, 2011, reintroduced in the 113th Congress as H.R. 1310. This bill's provisions are included in Title X of EPFA.
• H.R. 2077, a bill to repeal the medical loss ratio provision of the PPACA, introduced June 1, 2011
• H.R. 4066, a bill to exclude pathologists from Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments and penalties relating to electronic health records, introduced February 6, 2012, reintroduced in the 113th Congress as H.R. 1309
• H.R. 6616, a bill to exempt U.S. securities transactions from financial taxes and penalties imposed by other nations, introduced November 19, 2012, reintroduced in the 113th Congress as H.R. 2546

113th Congress (2013–2014)

• H.R. 1990 and H.R. 2009, bills to prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury, or any delegate of the Secretary, from implementing or enforcing any provisions of or amendments made by the PPACA or the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, introduced May 15 and 16, 2013. H.R. 2009 has passed the House but has yet to become law.

Committee assignments

• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on Ways and Means
  • Subcommittee on Health
  • Subcommittee on Human Resources

Membership in a political medical organization

Price is a member of the controversial Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, a politically conservative non-profit association founded in 1943 to "fight socialized medicine and to fight the government takeover of medicine."^[57][58]

Personal life

Price and his wife Betty reside in Roswell, and have one child, Robert Price.^[59] Betty served on the Roswell City Council and was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in a 2015 special election to succeed the late Harry Geisinger.^[60] Price is a Presbyterian.

See also

• Physicians' Council for Responsible Reform
• Physicians in the United States Congress

References

External links

Media related to Tom Price at Wikimedia Commons

• Congressman Tom Price official House site
• Tom Price for Congress
• Tom Price at DMOZ
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Project Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at The Library of Congress

Chairmen of the United States House Committee on the Budget
Ullman Adams Giaimo Jones Gray Panetta Sabo Kasich Nussle Spratt Ryan Price