Democrats boycott Price confirmation, force delay in vote

Democrats boycotted this morning’s Senate Finance Committee meeting to vote on the nomination of Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The boycott also delayed the vote of Steven Mnuchin, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Treasury Department.

Their decision to not show up to the meeting and instead send a list of demands visibly upset Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who called the boycott “amazingly stupid” and “pathetic.”

Hatch said he’d never seen anything quite like the tactic, a move he said shows Democrats' lack of desire to fulfill their responsibilities as senators.

UPDATE: Senate committee advances Price nomination without Dems present

The boycott occurred hours after Trump fired Acting Attorney General Sally Yates for refusing to defend his executive order that banned certain immigrants and refugees.

The move will force the Senate Finance Committee to reschedule the vote. 

Price has been a controversial choice to head HHS. Although he is a physician and member of Congress, Democrats raised ethics and conflict-of-interest concerns over stock purchases he made prior to introducing legislation that would financially benefit companies in which he owned shares.

If confirmed, Price will take a lead role in the White House administration and Republicans’ plans to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. The delay of his confirmation also delays any opportunities to reach an agreement on its replacement, Republicans said this morning.

Hatch said he was disappointed in the Democrats' move to obstruct the vote and hopes that when the meeting is rescheduled, they will be in attendance.

“This is the most pathetic thing I’ve seen in my whole time in the U.S. Senate,” Hatch said, noting that even if they dislike Trump's nominations, they can vote no.