Lame-duck governor plays politics with HHS

Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Janice Weiner has released the following statement regarding Gov. Reynolds’ decision to appoint Kraig Paulsen as “director” of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“The responsibility of vetting and confirming the governor’s executive appointees belongs solely to the Iowa Senate. Today, Gov. Reynolds has decided to blatantly disregard and circumvent the Senate in re-establishing Larry Johnson as the de facto head of the Department of Health and Human Services,” Sen. Janice Weiner (D-Iowa City) said.

“This is partisan politics of the worst kind. Under Larry Johnson, the hundreds of thousands of Iowans who rely on HHS for critical services have received a diminished standard of care, a disrespectful lack of responsiveness, and a department more concerned with fealty to the governor than transparency to the public,” Sen. Weiner said. “And yet, this governor simply cannot handle a world in which she doesn’t get her way, so she has invented a title that allows Johnson to resume his work.”

“Our decision to not confirm Larry Johnson in April was not made lightly. We did what was right for Iowans,” Sen. Weiner said. “Our goal has been and remains to work within the bounds of the Senate for the benefit of all Iowans. Unfortunately, Gov. Reynolds would rather play politics than give Iowans the respect of a more diligent search for a qualified candidate.”