HHS legislative head

HHS assistant secretary for legislation Vince Ventimiglia brings to the post several years experience as a Senate staff member plus a stint directing government affairs at the medical device firm Medtronic. The Senate approved his nomination to head HHS's legislative operations by voice vote Dec. 21. Ventimiglia was nominated to the post in July and has been serving as assistant secretary-designate. Confirmation included a caveat that he agree to testify before Senate committees when requested. In 2005, Ventimiglia joined the Senate Budget Committee to work on Medicare and other entitlement programs as policy director. For the four previous years, he was the health policy director of the Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee, a panel whose jurisdiction includes FDA regulation and public health...