(CN) - President Donald Trump on Monday nominated Alex Azar, a former George W. Bush administration official and pharmaceutical executive, to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
"Happy to announce, I am nominating Alex Azar to be the next HHS Secretary," Trump tweeted in announcing his decision. "He will be a star for better healthcare and lower drug prices!"
If confirmed, Azar would replace Tom Price, who resigned after media reports that he spent nearly a $1 million on private and government air travel.
Azar served as general counsel at the department from 2001 to 2005, and then assumed the role of deputy secretary for the next two years. He later spent nearly a decade at pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, eventually rising to become president of its U.S. operations before leaving the company earlier this year to form a consultancy.
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