HHS nominee Chris Klomp faces scrutiny at Senate hearings

WASHINGTON — Over two days, senators on two key committees focused on the authority Chris Klomp already wields, and how he would use this power should he be confirmed as second-in-command to health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

Klomp, nominated to be deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has already played a major role in the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again agenda. He has helped negotiate the deals the administration has made with pharmaceutical companies to offer lower prices, conducted searches for high-profile hires, and acted as a liaison between HHS and the White House. 

“Part of my responsibility is to enable the smooth operations of the department. I’m responsible for personnel, among other things,” Klomp told the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. “My job is to make sure that we have everything.”