HEALTH CARE HOPEFULS — With just over two weeks left until the election, POLITICO is looking at who’s in the running for key Cabinet positions in a potential Trump or Harris administration. The next Health and Human Services secretary will have to deal with a wide range of issues upon assuming the post, from overseeing the ongoing Medicare drug price negotiations to contending with the expiration of Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies to regulating how artificial intelligence is used in health care. And at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the next leader will take the helm of an agency that provides health care for more than a quarter of the 16 million veterans in the U.S. The secretary will oversee the beleaguered effort to replace the VA’s decades-old electronic health records system , which is set to resume next year after it was tied to at least four veterans’ deaths and went billions over budget. The agency is also dealing with the financial strain stemming from the PACT Act, which has led to billions of dollars in shortfalls. Here’s POLITICO’s snapshot of the leading HHS and VA contenders in a potential Trump or Harris administration: HHS secretary, Harris: — Michelle Lujan Grisham, the New Mexico governor, is well known to Harris’ team after President Joe Biden vetted her for the HHS post four years ago. She previously served as New Mexico’s health secretary, and she’s been outspoken on reproductive rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. — Dr. Mandy Cohen, the CDC director, was previously floated as a potential pick to be Biden’s HHS secretary. Cohen also was a top official for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the Obama administration and the head of North Carolina's health agency during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. HHS secretary, Trump: — Bobby Jindal, former Louisiana governor and representative, is the chair of the Center for a Healthy America, a wing of the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute. His more recent focus on ACA reforms and new price transparency measures — as well as having held leadership roles — could boost a nomination to lead HHS. — Brian Blase, former special assistant to Trump for economic policy, leads the Paragon Health Institute, a Virginia-based think tank that has become a leading voice in conservative health policy, emphasizing the need to reduce overpayments and stop what he sees as unnecessary government subsidies in the system. VA secretary, Harris: — Tanya Bradsher, a combat veteran who served 20 years in the U.S. Army, was confirmed last year as deputy secretary of the VA. Bradsher has been instrumental in implementing the PACT Act and has overseen the VA’s electronic health records overhaul. — Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel, formerly ran Illinois’ Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2009, then-President Barack Obama appointed her to serve as the VA’s assistant secretary of public and intergovernmental affairs. She has focused on veterans’ issues since being elected to Congress. VA secretary, Trump: — Robert Wilkie was Trump’s VA secretary from 2018 until the end of his term. As secretary, Wilkie helped implement legislation expanding access to care outside of the VA. He ultimately signed the deal with Cerner to lead the electronic health records project as acting VA secretary. — Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) isn’t seeking reelection and has been floated as a potential pick to lead the VA in a second Trump administration. He serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and chairs its subcommittee on technology modernization. WELCOME TO MONDAY PULSE. I’m Kelly Hooper, filling in for Ben and Chelsea. Send your tips, scoops and feedback to khooper@politico.com and follow along at @kelhoops. And don’t forget to send your ideas to our regular Pulse hosts at bleonard@politico.com and ccirruzzo@politico.com, and follow them @_BenLeonard_ and @ChelseaCirruzzo.
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