Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., are threatening to subpoena Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chief Seema Verma if she doesn’t appear before the committee to discuss Medicaid fraud.
The senators wrote in a letter to Verma on Tuesday that they have tried to get her to attend a hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee since April 20, but she has declined repeatedly to testify. Now the senators say if Verma doesn’t confirm her appearance for a hearing on June 20, then they may “seek alternative means to compel your testimony.”
Johnson is the committee chairman and McCaskill is the top Democrat.
The letter, first reported by Politico, said that the committee has been trying to get Verma to testify on the issue of Medicaid fraud and overpayments.
“The committee even postponed this hearing in May to accommodate your schedule,” the letter said. “Even still, you have declined to confirm your availability and have offered a subordinate CMS official in your place.”
That didn’t sit well with the senators, who said Verma was the best witness since she is the Senate-confirmed leader of CMS.
“During your confirmation by the Senate, you promised to ‘testify before any duly constituted committee of the Congress,’” the letter said.
CMS did not immediately return a request for comment on the letter.
