Trump Selects Oz for Medicare, McMahon for Education, Lutnick for Trade

livewell
November 21, 2024
Noah Bennett

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has announced three nominees for key positions in his new cabinet roles. The first is Linda McMahon, a former professional wrestler, as secretary of the Education Department, while the Commerce Department will be led by Wall Street executive Howard Lutnick. The health-related nominee in the upcoming cabinet is Dr. Mehmet Oz, a heart surgeon and former TV talk show host, who will head the agency that administers Medicare and Medicaid. Millions of Americans rely on these programs to receive coverage for their healthcare expenses.

Linda McMahon

McMahon is a staunch supporter of Donald Trump and led the Small Business Administration, an independent agency of the US government, from 2017 to 19. She also ran as a Republican candidate for the Senate from Connecticut twice but remained unsuccessful.

Linda McMahon education experience includes serving the Connecticut Board of Education in 2009 and remaining part of the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connectivity for years. She had been a vocal supporter of charity schools and school choice.

Linda McMahon is a loyal supporter of the president-elect and became the chair of two pro-Trump committees, the America First Policy Institute and America First Action SuperPAC. The former is a think tank consisting of Trump’s former officials and other supporters who devise policies after his return to the presidency.

It indicates that Trump administration picks include his loyal supporters with this nomination. His husband was CEO of WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) before he resigned from the position in 2022.

After taking charge of her position, McMahon is expected to fulfill Trump’s vision of education. The president-elect has already expressed his views of purging American educational institutes from left-wing indoctrination, which is negatively affecting American students.

Howard Lutnick

Lutnick is a supporter of cryptocurrency and heads a brokerage and investment bank. The Commerce Department under Lutnick is responsible for imposing trade restrictions, issuing economic data, promoting economic growth, and releasing funds for new computer chip factories.

He is a supporter of imposing wide-ranging tariffs, which he considers to benefit the American worker. Trump has already announced his intention to impose 20% of tariffs on imported goods from around the globe and 60% on Chinese goods.

Dr. Mehmet Oz

The most controversial nomination on Tuesday was that of Dr. Mehmet Oz, a Turkish-American surgeon and TV presenter. He will lead Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act after approval of his position by the Senate. More than 50% of American citizens rely on these services for affordable health insurance. Medicare is for older Americans, while Medicaid is for economically unstable adults and children.

Dr. Oz promised to expand the Medicare Advantage plan, offered by private insurance companies. It is a popular program due to its coverage for Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) but has faced allegations of widespread fraud. Donald Trump has also expressed his views on overhauling the Affordable Care Act. This program offers health insurance plans to millions of Americans who do not qualify for insurance from the government or their employers.