Tiffany and Fitzgerald Send Letter to Senate Finance Urging Members to Reject Confirmation of Andrea Palm

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Rep. Tom Tiffany and Rep. Scott Fitzgerald sent a letter to all Senate Finance committee members asking them to reject President Biden's nominee for Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Andrea Palm. The letter cites examples of incompetence and overreach during Palm's tenure and the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Acting Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Palm implemented and extended the controversial "Safer at Home" orders and issued far-reaching restrictions on the sizes of gatherings without consulting state lawmakers – a violation of Wisconsin law. Under her leadership, Wisconsin ranked 47th out of 50 for efficiency of vaccine distribution, largely attributed to her lack of coordination in registering healthcare providers leading up to the roll-out.

Following her resignation from the position, Wisconsin rose to the top five in the country for vaccine distribution and now serves as a model of success for Midwestern states.

"During this critical time period as we continue to recover from a global pandemic, we need a Deputy HHS Secretary who is focused on improving access to health care and supporting state and local officials on the front line. Andrea Palm is not that person, and her appalling track record in our state makes that clear. We ask that the Senate Finance Members will reject her confirmation and join us in encouraging President Biden to appoint a more qualified nominee to this important position," said Tiffany.

"Ms. Palm's tenure as Secretary-designee of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services was defined by missteps and misjudgments that led to an ineffective response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin. If Ms. Palm's work in Wisconsin is any indicator of how she will lead in our nation's top health department, then the public should be seriously concerned," said Fitzgerald.

Read the letter here.