Obama makes recess appointment; picks Dr. Donald Berwick “ We must redistribute wealth” to run Medicare and Medicaid Services

WASHINGTON -- President Obama Wednesday bypassed the Senate and announced the recess appointment Dr. Donald Berwick to be the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The move drew fire from Republicans who had planned to fight his nomination. Obama said the job had to be filled.

"It's unfortunate that at a time when our nation is facing enormous challenges, many in Congress have decided to delay critical nominations for political purposes," Obama said.

The New York-born pediatrician is clinical professor of pediatrics and health care policy in the Department of Pediatrics at the Harvard Medical School. He is well regarded by medical groups, but conservatives say his views are "radical."

Under the recess appointment, Berwick will avoid the Senate nomination process and he will serve until the end of the year, when the congressional term expires.

"Democrats held no hearing, allowed no public testimony, and called no votes on this nomination," said Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-Ga.).

"In short, they did everything to hide Dr. Berwick's radical views and made absolutely no effort to follow the regular, established process for confirming a presidential nomination. Clearly, they did not want Berwick's adamant support for rationing health care debated in the light of day."

Berwick supporters scoffed at GOP complaints and accused them of stonewalling.

"Republican lockstep stalling of Don's nomination was a case study in cynicism and one awful example of how not to govern," said Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). "Republicans screamed that these federal programs were in trouble, then tried to deny the Administration the capable guy the President had chosen to oversee them."
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