The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday approved the nomination of Chris Klomp to serve as deputy secretary of Health and Human Services, which would make him second in command to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in a 15-12 vote. 

Klomp has risen through the ranks of the Trump administration, most recently serving as chief counselor at HHS and acting as a key player in the White House’s “most favored nation” drug pricing agreements with the pharmaceutical industry. During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Klomp sought to highlight his policy background while also refraining from openly contradicting Kennedy on the issue of vaccines. 

Thursday’s vote was along party lines with one exception — Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., voted in favor. He’d previously called Klomp “very proficient” on the technical aspects of health policy.

Committee Chairman Michael D. Crapo, R-Idaho, praised Klomp in comments Thursday.

“During last week’s hearing, Mr. Klomp emphasized the importance of effective leadership and operational excellence at the Department of Health and Human Services, including aligning people, policy, technology, and resources around clear objectives and measurable results,” he said. “I appreciated his commitment to ensuring that HHS effectively carries out its mission and empowers its talented workforce to address the pressing health challenges facing our country.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., ranking member of the committee, criticized Klomp, saying the White House’s drug price deals with pharma companies are opaque and serve to benefit the industry. He also criticized HHS’ handling of vaccine policy, pointing to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccines for children program. 

The program, which provides free shots to children, had been in limbo for the past month with doctors unable to access updated COVID-19 vaccines. The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reported Thursday that the program has resumed. 

“During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Klomp also tried to create the impression that he will be the ‘adult in the room’ on vaccines,” Wyden said. “Yet, as we sit here today, the vaccine chaos that we’ve come to expect from Robert Kennedy’s HHS continues.”