Price nears Senate confirmation as Trump health secretary

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are ready to overpower Democrats and push another of President Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees through the Senate, the man who will help lead the GOP drive to erase and replace the health care law.

Final approval of Price seemed certain, a vote that would elevate the long-time proponent of dismantling President Barack Obama's health care law and reshaping and curbing Medicare and Medicaid.

Over solid Democratic opposition and two GOP defections, it took a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Mike Pence for the Senate to approve wealthy GOP donor Betsy DeVos on Tuesday to head the Education Department.

Republicans have talked longingly of confirming Price because one pillar of their strategy to gut Obama's law is for the Department of Health and Human Services, which he would run, to issue regulations weakening it.

At Senate hearings on Price's nomination, Democrats have focused on the former orthopedic surgeon's considerable stock holdings, especially in health care industry companies.