CMS is one of the largest agencies in the federal government.  This fiscal year, it will disburse $803 billion in benefits – making CMS larger than all but 15 of the world’s economies.  And of course, its responsibilities will only grow under the health care law, as the CMS Administrator will be responsible for implementing more than $500 billion in savings from the Medicare program, and an unprecedented expansion of Medicaid as well.  Yet both Republicans and Democrats will be denied any opportunity to question Dr. Berwick about how he plans to implement the law, and manage CMS, because the President decided to make a recess appointment before the confirmation process began in earnest.
It’s nearly unprecedented for an Administration to recess appoint a nominee that has not even come up for a hearing.  It’s unfortunate that President Obama saw fit to take such this extraordinary step and appoint an individual charged with overseeing a benefits budget larger than the economies of Denmark, South Africa, and Israel combined without so much as a hearing to examine his views.  And it’s doubly unfortunate that the Administration apparently views any attempt to scrutinize someone appointed to manage an $800 billion budget as “Washington game-playing.”