David Jackson

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — On a busy day of meetings and appointments, President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday picked former Labor secretary Elaine Chao to be his Transportation secretary and tapped Georgia congressman Tom Price to be secretary of Health and Human Services — the point person to roll back President Obama's health care law.

The Trump team also said the president-elect plans to start a "thank you tour" of states that provided his margin of victory in the Electoral College, starting with a Thursday appearance in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Meanwhile, late Tuesday afternoon Trump transition officials said he had selected hedge fund executive Steven Mnuchin as his Treasury secretary, while published reports said he had tabbed billionaire investor Wilbur Ross to head the Commerce Department.

Price, who is also an orthopedic surgeon, "is exceptionally qualified to shepherd our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare and bring affordable and accessible health care to every American," Trump said in making the formal announcement.

In another health care appointment, Trump said he will nominate Seema Verma — president, CEO and founder of SVC, Inc., a national health policy consulting company — to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Price, first elected to the U.S. House from Georgia in 2004, said "there is much work to be done to ensure we have a health care system that works for patients, families, and doctors; that leads the world in the cure and prevention of illness; and that is based on sensible rules to protect the well-being of the country while embracing its innovative spirit."

Conservatives lauded the appointment, while Democrats and abortions rights supporters and other Trump critics denounced it.

As news broke Monday night, ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a frequent Trump adviser, tweeted that Price will make a "great" HHS secretary, and "is the right leader to help Congress replace Obamacare."

Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said Price's health care plans would threaten women's health.

"If Price had his way, millions of women could be cut off from Planned Parenthood’s preventive health services like birth control, cancer screenings and STD tests," Richards said.

Price, who must be confirmed by the Senate, also drew criticism from congressional Democrats. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., suggested confirmation could be difficult because Price "has proven to be far out of the mainstream of what Americans want when it comes to Medicare, the Affordable Care Act," and federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

While Trump has pledged to "repeal" and "replace" Obamacare, he has also suggested keeping some aspects of it. They include forbidding insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and allowing adult children to stay on their parents' policies.

In announcing Chao's nomination, Trump said her "extensive record of strong leadership and her expertise are invaluable assets in our mission to rebuild our infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner."

Mnuchin is Trump's pick for Treasury

Chao also cited plans for more infrastructure, saying in a statement it would "accelerate economic growth and productivity, and create good paying jobs across the country."

Current U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx expressed support for Chao in a statement released Tuesday.

“Elaine Chao knows the Department of Transportation well, having previously served as its deputy secretary," Foxx said. "She's also one of the nicest people I've met in Washington. I wish her luck in the confirmation process, and in the meantime, we will be working hard to ensure a smooth transition.”

Chao, the labor secretary for President George W. Bush, is married to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

Trump had another busy day of job interviews, and more names popped up for Cabinet positions.

And Trump had a pair of high-profile talks related to the remarkably public battle for secretary of State.

The president-elect met with Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is planning to have dinner with Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee for president. It will be Romney's second interview for secretary of state. Many Trump supporters are objecting to Romney, citing his intense criticism of Trump during the campaign as a "fraud" and a "phony."

On Monday, Trump discussed the job with retired general and ex-CIA Director David Petraeus.

After his meeting with Trump, Corker told reporters that the incoming administration has "the greatest opportunity in modern times to really strengthen our nation's security interests around the world and help us economically."

The Trump transition team also said that Trump plans to make Ohio — a key state in his Electoral College victory over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton — the first stop on Trump's planned "thank you tour." A person familiar with the plans, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not yet public, said Trump plans to headline a rally Thursday night in Cincinnati. Future rallies are expected in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.

Among other visitors Tuesday to Trump Tower: Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Tex., a candidate for homeland security secretary; and former Vice President Dan Quayle, who said he wanted to offer personal congratulations to the president-elect; and Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pa., who said he and Trump discussed the position of secretary of Labor.

Price, 62, received his medical degree from the University of Michigan and started his career as an orthopedic surgeon in Roswell, Ga. Entering political life, Price won election to the Georgia State Senate in 1996 and rose to leadership positions within the state's growing Republican Party.

During his six terms in the U.S. Congress, Price's jobs have included chairman of the House Budget Committee. He also became an outspoken opponent of the health care law Obama signed in 2010, calling it an "unaffordable" piece of legislation.

“Premiums have gone up, not down," Price said recently. "Many Americans lost the health coverage they were told time and time again by the president that they could keep. Choices are fewer.”

In announcing Verma's nomination, Trump noted that she has re-designed Medicaid programs in several states (including Indiana, home of Vice President-elect and former governor Mike Pence).

Verma "has decades of experience advising on Medicare and Medicaid policy and helping states navigate our complicated system," Trump said. "Together, Chairman Price and Seema Verma are the dream team that will transform our health care system for the benefit of all Americans.”

In thanking Trump for his nomination, Verma said that “I look forward to helping him tackle our nation's daunting health care problems in a responsible and sustainable way."

