As I blogged last week, Mark McClellan, current Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) administrator, is set to leave his post.
The Hill reports that Andrew von Eschenbach, President Bush’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is facing obstacles to his confirmation. Will the same happen when Bush nominates someone to take over McClellen’s post?
According to The Hill, former “senior officials†for CMS and the FDA say that agency replacements face a difficult time when they haven’t been confirmed by the Senate.
An incoming chief who’s received Senate confirmation has a vote of confidence, so to speak. He or she went through the preferred process (approval by accountable elected officials). If the president appoints a new chief without Senate approval, his or her leadership position may be precarious and less secure.
With all the controversy surrounding Medicare Part D, the timing couldn’t be worse or more politically charged.
