BioCentury
ARTICLE | Politics & Policy

Harkin lifts hold on Tavenner nomination

May 8, 2013 12:19 AM UTC

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) lifted his hold on President Obama's nomination of Marilyn Tavenner's as CMS administrator. Harkin said he placed the hold to give White House officials time to reconsider a directive Tavenner signed in March that cuts $332 million in funding from the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which was created by the Affordable Care Act to provide "expanded and sustained national investments in prevention and public health, to improve health outcomes, and to enhance health care quality." The directive redirects the money into educating the public about ACA's new health insurance marketplaces. Harkin -- who said Tavenner is "strongly qualified to be the next CMS Administrator" -- said "the White House has made it clear that it will not reverse course with regard to its raid on the Prevention Fund." ...