Democrat Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) suggested he would support his former Republican rival, Dr. Mehmet Oz, for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator position—but with one condition.
President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Oz would be his pick for CMS administrator— a senate position.
“Dr. Oz will be a leader in incentivizing Disease Prevention, so we get the best results in the World for every dollar we spend on Healthcare in our Great Country,” Trump said. “He will also cut waste and fraud within our Country’s most expensive Government Agency, which is a third of our Nation’s Healthcare spend and a quarter of our entire National Budget.”
Fetterman said he would vote for the Republican if he vowed to protect and preserve Medicare and Medicaid.
If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, I’m voting for the dude. https://t.co/vededEgSuD
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) November 19, 2024
“That’s the most important thing for me,” Fetterman said. “Our politics are obviously different, and we do have a history, but I don’t have any bitterness. I don’t hold anything against him. As long as he’s willing to protect and preserve Medicaid and Medicare, I’m voting for the dude.”
Fetterman, who defeated Oz in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race in 2022, has previously mocked the Republican, most notably over the doctor calling “crudité” expensive.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who will work closely with the Trump Administration’s HHS, said he was excited to welcome Oz to “The Avengers.”
Very excited that my friend @DrOz has agreed to run CMS. Thank you @realDonaldTrump for this outstanding nomination. Welcome Dr. Oz to The Avengers. Let's Make America Healthy Again! https://t.co/jjQoqoiZuC pic.twitter.com/e7CSkh5kem
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) November 19, 2024