The Georgia Republican and orthopedic surgeon was confirmed 52-47 to oversee a department with a budget of more than $1 trillion.

Mr Price’s confirmation was marked by no small controversy. He was questioned repeatedly by senators over his views about vaccinating children.

Bernie Sanders grills Tom Price on Trump's health care plans

The congressman belongs to a group, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), which holds several unorthodox views and has described mandatory vaccination as “equivalent to human experimentation”.

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He was also dogged by questions about his trading in hundreds of thousands of dollars in health company stocks while working on healthcare legislation. Reuters said that Democrats boycotted the committee vote on his nomination, saying he had made misleading statements. Mr Price has said his actions were legal and ethical.

Mr Price, in his new job, will have authority to rewrite rules implementing the 2010 Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Mr Price could move quickly to rework the law's regulations while waiting for Republicans in Congress to keep their pledge to scrap the law entirely.

“Having Dr Tom Price at the helm of HHS gives us a committed ally in our work to repeal and replace Obamacare,” said US House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has vowed to pass a new plan this year.