The White House is preparing to reshuffle the deck around Health and Human Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reassure nervous Republicans the controversial public health official won’t ruin their election chances.
President Donald Trump’s top advisers are preparing a midterm push that will focus heavily on health policy, including a popular healthy eating initiative and the “most favored nation” drug pricing deals negotiated by Medicare chief Chris Klomp, who will be promoted to chief counselor and Kennedy’s chief of staff, reported CNN.
“Klomp, who has played a central role in negotiating and promoting the drug price deals that Trump has touted as a top accomplishment, has drawn praise at HHS and among top Trump aides for his management expertise and public messaging skills,” CNN reported. “The moves also represent an effort to keep closer tabs on Kennedy and an HHS leadership that has struggled at times to coordinate with its own agencies and the White House, frustrating senior Trump officials and generating dayslong controversies.”
The moves, which are aimed at restructuring Kennedy’s top ranks, will add John Brooks, currently deputy administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as senior counselor in charge of CMS-related issues, while two senior Food and Drug Administration officials, Grace Graham and Kyle Diamantas, will take on senior counselor roles managing FDA-related issues fpr HHS, and current HHS chief of staff Matt Buckham will move to a senior counselor role.
“I am proud to elevate battle-tested, principled leaders onto my immediate team — individuals with the courage and experience to help us move faster and further as we work to Make America Health Again,” Kennedy said in a statement.
His leadership, which has been roiled by firings and rehirings amid internal clashes, and penchant for controversial remarks – such as his comment this week about snorting cocaine from toilets seats – raised concerns among Republicans as they approach November’s elections.
“Kennedy has also pressed ahead on a major overhaul of the nation’s vaccine system — a top priority for the longtime vaccine skeptic that has raised concerns among Republicans that it could damage the party politically ahead of the midterms,” CNN reported.
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