Thomas Edmunds Price (born October 8, 1954) is an American physician and Republican Party politician who served as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 6th congressional district, encompassing the northern suburbs of Atlanta, from 2005 to 2017. While in Congress, Price chaired the House Committee on the Budget, Republican Study Committee and Republican Policy Committee. He was appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services by President Donald Trump and served in that role from February to September 2017.
On September 29, 2017, he resigned as head of HHS following criticism of using government money to pay for private jet travel. In July 2018, the HHS inspector general urged the HHS to recoup at least $341,000 from Price for wasteful expenditures.
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Early life, education, and medical career
Price was born in Lansing, Michigan, and grew up in Dearborn, where he attended Adams Jr. High and Dearborn High School. Price's father and grandfather were both doctors. As a child, Price occasionally accompanied his grandfather on house calls in Toledo, Ohio. Until Price was the age of six, his father worked a dairy farm in Fowlerville, Michigan.
Price received his B.A. (1975) and M.D. (1979) degrees from the University of Michigan. He completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and settled in the suburb of Roswell, Georgia. He entered private practice in 1984 and returned to Emory as an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery in 2002. He was the director of the orthopedic clinic at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital, where he met his wife Betty, who worked there as anesthesiologist.
Price was a member of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a politically conservative group founded in 1943 to "fight socialized medicine" and known to promote a range of scientifically discredited claims. The AAPS opposes Medicare and mandatory vaccination. Price is also a member of the American Medical Association. Before entering the state senate, Price was politically active as a member of the Republican Party and traveled with the Medical Association of Georgia in the early 1990s to oppose the Clinton health care plan of 1993.
Georgia Senate (1996–2005)
Elections and results
Price first ran for office after receiving a phone call from state senator Sallie Newbill in 1995. Newbill, who represented Georgia's 56th senate district, was planning to retire and personally asked Price if he was interested in succeeding her. Price accepted the offer and defeated Democrat Ellen Milholland in the election, 71–29%. In a 1998 rematch, he won re-election to a second term by defeating Milholland by a margin of 75–25%. In 2000 and 2002, he won re-election to a third and fourth term unopposed.
Price has cited discontent with government regulations of the health care industry as his primary reason for becoming involved in politics.
Committee memberships
During his tenure as a state senator, Price served on the committees for Appropriations, Economic Development and Tourism, Education, Ethics, Health and Human Services, Insurance and Labor, Reapportionment and Redistricting, and Rules.
Tenure
Price was elected minority whip of the Georgia state senate on November 6, 1998. He held this position until November 14, 2002, when Republicans took control of the state senate, and Price was elected majority leader – the first Republican to ever hold this position in Georgia. He was replaced as majority leader by Bill Stephens on June 17, 2003.
U.S. House of Representatives (2005–2017)
Elections
2004
In late April 2003, Price formally announced his candidacy for Georgia's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. The seat was being vacated by Republican Johnny Isakson, who had decided to pursue an opening in the U.S. Senate. Bob Barr, a former U.S. Congressman, was considered an early frontrunner in the race to replace Isakson, but Barr withdrew his candidacy for personal reasons, shortly before Price entered the race. Price went on to run against two fellow state senators, Chuck Clay and Robert Lamutt, as well as two state representatives, Roger Hines and Mark Burkhalter. Also taking part in the race was John McCallum, a former aide to U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
At the time, Georgia's 6th Congressional district included parts of Fulton, Cherokee, and Cobb counties. The district lines had been drawn so as to heavily favor Republicans - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called the district a "honey pot" for the party and suggested that whoever won that year's primary would likely retain the seat "into the next decade". Isakson had won the previous election with eighty percent of the vote, and no Democrat entered the race to replace him.
Following Barr's withdrawal from the race, Lamutt, a millionaire venture capitalist who self-financed much of his own campaign, was generally considered to be the new frontrunner; although The Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggested that Clay, who had previously run an unsuccessful campaign to be Lieutenant Governor of the state, likely had the most name recognition of the remaining candidates. Clay had also served as Republican minority leader in the state legislature, several years before Price became the party's majority leader. Price's residence in Fulton County was seen as a disadvantage, because the 6th district had been exclusively represented by Cobb County residents since 1991. All of Price's opponents on the final ballot lived in Cobb. Price considered relocating, in order to improve his chances in the race, but he ultimately decided against this.
Despite this handicap, Price had out-raised his opponents by late July, and although he was briefly overtaken by Clay, he reclaimed his top position in the 6th district race within a few months. In February 2004, it was reported that Clay and Price were the two highest-funded candidates in that year's Congressional races, nationwide. Federal election law put a limit of $2,000 on individual contributions to the campaigns, but Lamutt activated a clause that raised this limit to $6,000 for his opponents, when he loaned $600,000 to his own campaign. Lamutt would eventually increase this loan to $1.5 million, while Clay loaned at least $500,000 to his own campaign. In late April 2004, it was reported that Price had put a loan of $200,000 into the race. Despite this disparity in self-funding, Price had received contributions from a significantly higher number of donors than his opponents. At least $300,000 of Price's campaign funds came from the health care industry.
Tenure
Price was chosen to serve as chair of the Republican Study Committee in November 2008, upon being elected to his third term in Congress. Two years later, he was chosen to serve as chair of the House Republican Policy Committee, which made him the "fifth highest ranking Republican in the House". Price was also chosen in 2010 to serve on the Ways and Means Committee and on the Budget Committee. In December 2012, he was named vice-chair of the Budget Committee, serving under Paul Ryan, and in November 2014, Price succeeded Ryan as the committee's chair.
In 2012, Price sought the position of House Republican Conference chair, which would have made him the fourth-highest-ranking Republican in the House. He was endorsed by Ryan, as well as by the Tea Party-affiliated organization FreedomWorks, conservative political commentator Erick Erickson, future vice-president and then-governor of Indiana Mike Pence, and outgoing Republican Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling. Ryan said of Price, "He was instrumental in drafting our House Republican budget. His vocal leadership on issues like health care, tax reform, and fiscal matters has been vital to our messaging and policy efforts. No one will work harder than Congressman Price at building a strong and compelling communications and policy strategy that reflects the will of our membership and the needs of the nation." Although then-Speaker of the House John Boehner did not publicly endorse anyone in the race, he was seen as preferring Price's challenger for the position, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and offered Price a different position if he dropped out of the race for Conference Chairman - Price turned down the offer. He lost the election to McMorris Rodgers in November.
That same year, Price was considered as a possible primary challenger for Republican senator Saxby Chambliss, and in 2014, Price was considered as a possible replacement for Eric Cantor as the House Majority Leader, but Price ultimately decided against pursuing either of these positions.
In 2013, the American Conservative Union named Price one of the most conservative members of Congress, giving him a 100% approval rating. Price was also described as one of the most conservative members of Congress by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the New York Times.
Price is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership.
Voting record and political views
In response to questions as to whether or not vaccines cause autism, Price stated in January 2017 "I think the science in that instance is that it does not". Price said in March 2017 that it should be up to individual states to determine whether vaccinations should be required - a position that is in keeping with current U.S. law, which does not require vaccinations on a federal level. All fifty states, however, have laws requiring that children in public schools be vaccinated.
As a U.S. Representative, Price voted multiple times to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as well as portions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Price introduced his first post-Obamacare bill as early as 2009, thereafter reintroducing updated versions in every Congress since that point. In May 2015, as House Budget Committee chair, Price released health care legislation which was described by Bill Kristol of the National Review as "the strongest Obamacare alternative offered in Congress to date." Greg Sargent of the Washington Post wrote of the bill, "it's good to have a fleshed out plan, because it helps clarify the differences between the parties on health reform." Sargent also wrote that "GOP reforms would likely translate into lower-quality plans and a coverage expansion that would benefit fewer people. But that would be the trade-off Republicans would make to achieve their goal of less government spending and interference in the market than that which occurs under Obamacare." In 2017, after Price was nominated to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, NPR wrote that Price's 2015 bill would be seen as "one of the main paths forward to repeal portions of the ACA."
Price has supported Paul Ryan's plan to privatize Medicare.
Price has received funding from the tobacco industry as well as having a substantial shareholding in tobacco companies Philip Morris International and Altria. Price voted against the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, a law that for the first time gave the Food and Drug Administration regulatory jurisdiction over tobacco products, i.e., the power to regulate tobacco as a drug.
In 2024 he acknowledged that he was working "as an advisor to PMI Global Services Inc".
Legislation sponsored by Price
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 for the ACA. 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 on May 8, 2013. 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. 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." H.R. 1874 has passed the House but has yet to become law.
Committee assignments
Committee on the Budget (chair 2015–2017)
Committee on Ways and Means
Subcommittee on Health
Subcommittee on Human Resources
Caucus memberships
Congressional Constitution Caucus
Friends of Wales Caucus
Involvement in U.S. Presidential elections
Price endorsed Mitt Romney in the Republican Party's 2008 presidential primaries and Newt Gingrich in the party's 2012 primaries. In 2016, he supported Marco Rubio and initially opposed Donald Trump, saying in March of that year that Trump would be "dangerous for politics and the economy." Despite this, once Trump became the Republican Party's presumptive nominee, Price switched his allegiance and corralled eight of his fellow House Republican committee chairs into joining him. They released a group endorsement of Donald Trump for president on May 13, 2016, which stated, "There is a path to winning in November, and it comes through unity. To solidify this partnership, we endorse Mr. Trump as the Republican nominee for President and call upon all Americans to support him." A month later, Price's efforts in getting those committee chairs to endorse Trump led the Washington Post to name Price as one of Trump's "top six allies in Congress."
Secretary of Health and Human Services
On November 29, 2016, Price was nominated for United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) by President-elect Donald Trump. On February 1, 2017, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved his nomination by a vote of 11–0 with all Democrats boycotting the vote, sending the nomination to the Senate floor. On February 10, 2017, the Senate confirmed Price in a 52–47 vote.
In March 2017, Price endorsed the American Health Care Act of 2017, a bill proposed by House Republicans that would repeal the individual mandate and make several other major changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. When the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the American Health Care Act would insure 24 million fewer Americans than the Affordable Care Act by 2026 and reduce the federal deficit by $337 billion in the same span, Price said he disagreed "strenuously" with the report and found it "not believable".
In April 2017, Public News Service reporter Dan Heyman was arrested by West Virginia police for "aggressively breaching Secret Service agents" and "causing a disturbance by yelling questions" related to proposed healthcare legislation at Price and Kellyanne Conway. Price said the arrest was "not my decision to make".
While he was HHS secretary, he said that the individual mandate (a component of the Affordable Care Act requiring the purchase of health insurance) increased the cost of health care. However, in May 2018, while no longer HHS secretary, Price admitted that the repeal of the individual mandate would reduce participation of young and healthy individuals in the health insurance market and thus drive up the cost of health care for those remaining.
Private jet scandal and resignation
In a series of reports in September 2017, Politico reported that since May 2017, Price spent more than $1 million of department funds for his own travel on private charter jets and military aircraft. Many of the flights were between cities that are easily accessible by train or car and have frequent, low-cost commercial airline service. Five Democratic members of Congress requested an inspector general's investigation into Price's use of private aircraft. Price's use of private planes was legal but was criticized by ethics experts as a misuse of taxpayer funding. Price's spokesperson justified Price's use of private jets as a reasonable precaution, given that Price was once unable to attend an important meeting because a commercial flight was cancelled; Politico noted that the flight in question was cancelled because air travel had been virtually shut down in the region in question at the time, preventing even private jets from taking off. As a congressman in 2009, Price had criticized the use of private jets by government officials as "fiscal irresponsibility run amok".
Following Politico's reporting on the matter, Price said that he would stop taking taxpayer-funded private jet flights pending a formal review by his department's inspector general. President Trump said that he was unhappy about Price's expenditures, but declined to state whether he would fire him. Price said later that September that he would reimburse taxpayers for $51,887, which he calculated as the cost of his seat on the more than $400,000 worth of charter flights. He also vowed to discontinue the use of private charter flights for his travel. Later that day, it was revealed that the expenditures for Price's charter and military flights were higher than $1 million, including flights taken by Secretary Price and his wife to Europe and Africa. Politico also noted that Price had, in June 2017, defended a proposal to cut $663,000 from HHS's $4.9 million annual travel budget.
The reports from Politico sparked a larger inquiry into the use of private planes by Trump administration officials. On September 26, the House Oversight Committee started a bipartisan investigation led by Representatives Trey Gowdy (R-SC) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD) of all use of private and government-owned planes by non-elected government officials of the Executive Branch, citing 5 U.S.C. § 5733, which states "The travel of an employee shall be by the most expeditious means of transportation practicable and shall be commensurate with the nature and purpose of the duties of the employee requiring such travel." Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) also sent a letter to the White House asking to "detail what steps the administration has taken to ensure that cabinet secretaries use the most fiscally responsible travel in accordance with the public trust they hold and the spirit and letter of all laws, regulations, and policies that apply."
Investment activity
In 2015–2016, according to congressional financial disclosures, Price purchased shares totaling between $60,000 and $110,000 in value in Innate Immunotherapeutics, an Australian biotech company. Innate had no approved drugs and just one multiple sclerosis drug in trial. Price participated in a private placement of more shares in August 2016, paying $.25 and $.34 per share. Price invested between $50,000 and $100,000. On January 13, 2017, the shares were valued at $1.31, giving Price an unrealized gain of 300%–400% in a 6-month period. Price announced plans to sell several health care investments, including Innate, upon his confirmation as HHS Secretary.
On January 16, 2017, CNN reported that Price had purchased shares in Zimmer Biomet, a medical devices company. Zimmer Biomet is an S&P 500 component, in that every S&P 500 ETF and numerous mutual funds often trade Zimmer Biomet. Price had a diversified, broker-directed portfolio of hundreds of stocks in which investment decisions were made by a Morgan Stanley financial advisor, and that advisor had purchased these shares, in addition to approximately 70 other stocks, as a part of a periodic portfolio re-balancing. Less than a week after the stock purchase, Price introduced legislation, the HIP Act, that would delay a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulation until 2018. Industry analysts had warned that those regulations would significantly hurt the company's finances. Following the introduction of the HIP Act, Zimmer Biomet's political action committee donated to Price's reelection campaign.
When questioned about his financial dealings during his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate on January 18, 2017, Price said, "[e]verything that we have done has been above-board, transparent, ethical, and legal."
In March 2017, ProPublica reported that U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara had been investigating Price's stock trades before Bharara's dismissal from his post by Donald Trump. Price said that he had not received any indication of a federal investigation into his stock trades.
Personal life
Price and his wife, Betty, reside in Roswell, and have one child, Robert Price. 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. Price is a Presbyterian.
In 2014, Price had a net worth of approximately $13.6 million.