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But first he thanked the representative from Georgia for advice about his knee.

Rep. Tom Price of Georgia is an orthopedic surgeon, as well as a member of the Tea Party caucus and a staunch opponent of the Affordable Care Act. Hes also President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for Health and Human Services.

Ive never shown my knee to any nominee before, Bennet said before switching gears.

Much of the questioning of Price Wednesday focused on his stake in an Australian company that makes experimental drugs at the same time he helped draft legislation that makes it easier for new drugs to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration, as well as on his positions on repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act.

Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, pushed hard on a different line of attack that borrowed generously with attribution from Republican Sen. Rand Paul, the only Republican to vote against the budget resolutionthat includes the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Paul voted no because the resolution allows for more than $9 trillion in new debt over the next 10 years. During hearings before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Bennet quoted Paul at length to say that Republicans were tramping on principles of fiscal conservatism in their rush to repeal Obamacare. He asked Price if he would promise not to increase the debt or the deficit in the process of getting rid of the outgoing presidents signature legislation.

Youve been a strong advocate of balancing the budget, Bennet said. What Ive noticed is that after gaining control of theHouse, the Senate and the White House, the first order of business for the Republican majority here has been to pass a budget resolution repealing the ACA. This budget resolutionspecificallyauthorizes $9 trillion in additional debt over the next 10 years.

Bennet grew emotional as he quoted Paul describing the way he was lobbied: Were in a hurry. We cant be bothered. Its just numbers. Dont worry. Itsnot really a budget. And yet the legislation says its a budget!

So, Bennet asked Price,how does he square hisbudget hawk position with this vehicle for repealing the ACA? Does he supportthis budget?

What I support is an opportunity to use reconciliation to address the real challenges inthe Affordable Care Act and to make certain we put in place at the same time a provision thatallows us to move the health care system in a much betterdirection, Price said.

Do you support the budget that was passed by the Senate Republicans? Bennet pressed.

I support the process that allows for and provides for the fiscal year 17 reconciliation bill to come forward, Price said.

Will you commit as a member of the Tea Party that no replacement for this dreadful Obamacare that allegedly created this deficit and debt wont contribute to the deficit and debt? Bennet asked.

Price said he could commit to working with Democrats to reduce the deficit.

Well then.

Oh, and on Bennets painful knee, Price recommends an MRI.

Erica Meltzer covers government and politics. She's worked for newspapers in Colorado, Arizona and Illinois and once won a First Amendment Award by showing up in the wrong place at the wrong time. She served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay and can swear fluently in Guarani. She gets emotional about public libraries. Contact Erica Meltzer at 303-502-2802, emeltzer@denverite.com or @meltzere. View all posts by Erica Meltzer

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Michael Bennet went after Trump's HHS pick with Rand Paul's line ... - Denverite (blog)