Tom Price sworn in as secretary of health

Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Vice President Mike Pence on Friday administered the oath of office to Tom Price hours after the Senate confirmed him to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services.

The Senate approved Price's nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services around 2 a.m. Friday morning in a vote along party lines, 52-to-47.

Price is a staunch opponent of the Affordable Care Act and comes in with expectations he will play a key role in designing the Republican Party's potential replacement for it. He has also talked about defunding parts of Medicare and Medicaid, raising fears among Democrats of fewer healthcare services being available to recipients of both.

"President Trump has made it the top priority of this new Congress to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with healthcare reform that will lower the cost of health insurance without growing the size of government," Pence said during the ceremony Friday. "And finding someone to lead Health and Human Services who brings a background in medicine, a background in healthcare, a background in budgetary issues in the Congress of the United States, who understands the unique challenges of state officials in programs like Medicaid was easily met when he made the decision to name Dr. Tom Price as the new secretary of Health and Human Services."

Price is a medical doctor who made championing conservative healthcare reform a signature part of his agenda in Congress.

Democrats, however, opposed Price's nomination, using it as a platform to accuse Republicans of wanting to kick 20 million Americans who have purchased health insurance through the ACA off of their medical plans.

"I feel passionately about the fact that this is the wrong person to serve in that job," Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said during a speech on Thursday before the vote. "He seems to have no higher priority than to terminate health coverage for millions of people across this country."

During his confirmation hearing, Democrats accused Price of using his position to buy stock in a company and lying about it to Congress during his testimony. Republicans refused to subject Price to a second round of questioning by a Senate committee, as Democrats had demanded, and instead moved quickly to hold his confirmation vote.

In an attempt to prevent Price's nomination from being sent to the full Senate, Democrats did not attend the committee vote, delaying it by a day and leading Republicans to change the committee rules to allow a vote without Democrats participating.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a floor speech before Friday morning's vote that he thought Price's experience as an orthopedic surgeon before entering politics could help him create better healthcare policy.

Republicans see Price as an ideas man who can put together a replacement for the ACA, based on being one of the few members of the GOP to offer a plan.

"I think you have to admire that he was willing to make a serious proposal," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said. "That's the kind of leadership we need."

Senate Republicans have expressed hope he will start easing regulatory requirements, such as those for maternity care and access to contraception. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said such changes could lead to "more flexibility, and hopefully that means there'll be more competition in the marketplace."