WASHINGTON – Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius was confirmed Tuesday morning by the Senate Finance Committee to join President Barack Obama's cabinet as the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary.
She was confirmed by a vote of 15 to 8, with a dissenting comment by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.). The full Senate will vote on her nomination later this week.
Kyl said Sebelius shows "insufficient commitment" to putting safeguards on comparative effectiveness. In a statement made before the committee, he said he has concerns that without safeguards, the federal government could use comparative effectiveness studies to deny care based on cost
Sen. Charles Grassley, (R-Iowa), the ranking minority leader of the Senate Finance Committee, was among the eight Republicans who did not vote to confirm Sebelius.
In nominating Sebelius' on March 1, Obama said he expects her to work closely with White House healthcare point person Nancy-Ann DeParle to help move his healthcare reform objectives through Congress.
Sebelius will be responsible for more than $100 billion allotted to healthcare in the stimulus package, signed into law on Feb. 17. The package includes $87 billion for Medicaid, $39 billion for COBRA and $1.1 billion for federal research on comparative healthcare effectiveness.
She will also be pivotal in implementing healthcare initiatives set forth in the new law and will play a key role in implementing comprehensive healthcare reform that Congress expects to pass this summer.
Healthcare stakeholders have been disappointed in the delay in confirming an HHS secretary. Sebelius' nomination followed the loss of former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Obama's first choice for HHS secretary, who stepped down from nomination on Feb. 3, due to tax indiscretions. Sebelius reported and corrected "minor inadvertent tax errors" prior to her confirmation hearings in April.
Earlier this month, Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said, "There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Gov. Sebelius has the political experience, determination and bipartisan work ethic to get the job done with Congress this year. She's the right person for the job."
