The Capitol

ATLANTA — A Georgia congressman’s selection for a high-profile post in President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet was celebrated Tuesday by Peach State conservatives, even as others decried the pick.

U.S. Rep. Tom Price, a Republican and orthopedic surgeon from Roswell, is being nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Millions of Georgia’s families have been burdened by an over-regulated healthcare system, unreasonably high premiums and inadequate care,” Lt. Governor Casey Cagle said in a statement.

Cagle, who served in the state Senate with Price, added that he is “proud to see a friend and highly qualified individual be selected to lead our country on this critical issue.”

Elected to the House from the Atlanta’s northern suburbs in 2004, the staunch, anti-abortion congressman is also one of the fiercest opponents of the Affordable Care Act. His positions against the healthcare program and Planned Parenthood have made him a controversial choice.

Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, said she thinks Price will work to bridge those divides. She noted his work as majority leader in the state Senate, where he had to look out for interests as varied as transportation and agriculture.

Price served in the state Senate for a decade before he was elected to Congress.

“The sky is not falling. All of this stuff is going to take a long period of time to do. You can’t upset the apple cart and say, ‘Well it’s done,’” said Unterman, who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. “Nothing in Washington happens quickly. Nothing at the State Capitol happens quickly.

“I think there is a little bit of hysteria out there because the electorate was so polarized — one side or the other — but I have never seen a government act quickly and I’ve been in it a long time,” she added.

Plus, Unterman noted there are portions of President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law — such as provisions barring insurers from withholding coverage because of a preexisting condition — that are broadly accepted as valuable.

State Rep. Dexter Sharper, D-Valdosta, who has advocated for Medicaid expansion in Georgia, said he hopes Trump’s administration will focus on preserving those aspects of the law and building on the program’s successes.

He said he still sees a role for expanding the state’s insurance program for the poor, although bipartisan momentum toward that stalled after Trump’s surprising victory.

“We need to look at the whole picture because we’re still going to have a lot of uninsured people,” Sharper said.

Price’s nomination was met with praise from his colleagues in Washington, including members of the Georgia delegation.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, who represents the southeastern corner of the state, said in a statement that Price is “absolutely the best man for the job” and will “deliver the healthcare system Americans deserve.”

“Tom has experienced firsthand the destruction of our healthcare system and knows how important it is to end the Obamacare train wreck once and for all,” he said in a statement.

Sen. Johnny Isakson was no less ebullient in a statement released Tuesday.

“Tom doesn’t just talk about replacing Obamacare — he’s put years of thought and hard work into developing a plan that can actually make healthcare more affordable and accessible,” he said.

Isakson said Trump was “signaling his commitment to repealing Obamacare” with his decision to name Price.

“With Tom at the helm, we can begin implementing free-market principles that will increase choice and lower the cost of health care for families and businesses,” he said.

Jill Nolin covers the Georgia Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach her at jnolin@cnhi.com.