New Georgia senator takes spot on health committee

Georgia’s newest senator, Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R), will join the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and fill a spot left open with the retirement of Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.).

Loeffler, a former business executive, was sworn in Tuesday to succeed Isakson.

“I welcome Senator Kelly Loeffler to the Senate and look forward to working with her to lower what Americans pay out of their own pockets for health care and to make a college education worth students’ time and money,” said Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who is retiring from Congress at the end of this term.

One of Alexander’s goals during his final year in Congress is passing legislation to end the “surprise bills” some patients get from providers after receiving medical care.

Loeffler, who does not have any experience in politics and previously served as CEO of Bitcoin company Bakkt, has not said much publicly about her positions on health care. But conservatives opposed her appointment to the Senate seat because they don’t think she been tough enough on the issue of abortion.

Loeffler is co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, a WNBA team that donated some of its ticket sales to a handful of nonprofit groups that included Planned Parenthood.

In December, she said the “abortion-on-demand agenda is immoral” and said she would vote for legislation banning abortion at 20 weeks.

Loeffler was appointed to the Senate seat by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) after Isakson retired due to health reasons. She would need to win a special election in November to finish out Isakson’s term.