A top Trump administration official is being pressed to make good on his promise to visit Malheur County. The U.S. Senate voted Thursday, April 3, to confirm Mehmet Oz as administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He’s known to millions of Americans as Dr. Oz fo r his daytime television talk show that ran from 2009 to 2022. Malheur County came up during his confirmation hearing last month before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden noted that Malheur County has the highest percentage of people on Medicaid of any Oregon county, and he invited Oz to travel with him to visit the county within 60 days of his confirmation. Oz then promised he would join Wyden in such an appearance. Within hours of the confirmation, Wyden extended a formal invitation. In his letter to Oz, Wyden said the two could appear at a town hall in Malheur County as soon as April 23 or during a few days in June. “I know you will honor your commitment to Oregonians to visit Malheur County so you can hear directly from citizens and dedicated health workers how devastating proposed Medicaid cuts by the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans would be to one of Oregon’s poorest counties,” he wrote. Democrats in Congress have insisted that Trump and Republicans controlling Congress can reach their budget-cutting goals without reducing Medicaid. Medicaid provides health services for low-income individuals, pregnant women, the elderly and people with disabilities. U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, a Republican from Ontario, sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Medicaid budget. He has said in interviews in Oregon that he doesn’t expect benefits to be reduced, but that he supports work requirements for those getting such federal help. Wyden used his letter to Oz to again point out the importance of Medicaid in Malheur County. “Among those enrolled, the vast majority (almost 80%) are children, nearly 25% have a disability, nearly 50% are Hispanic or Latino and more than 25% speak Spanish as their primary language,” Wyden wrote. He noted that the Oregon Health Plan, which manages Medicaid in the state, “helps kids have access to counseling at school, support they would not otherwise receive.” Wyden noted that health care is “the economic lifeblood” of Malheur County with a hospital, a nursing home and a mobile crisis team. “I am grateful you will have the opportunity to hear firsthand what the Oregon Health Plan means to Malheur County,” the senator said. This article was originally published by the Malheur Enterprise, which shares ownership with Salem Reporter. STORY TIP OR IDEA? Send an email to Salem Reporter’s news team: info@salemreporter.com. The post Now confirmed, Dr. Oz is called on to fulfill Malheur County promise appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less