Government
Sebelius confirmed as HHS chief
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 4, 2009
The U.S. Senate on April 28 confirmed Democratic Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be Dept. of Health and Human Services secretary by a vote of 65-31, completing President Obama's Cabinet and ending a long nomination process.
Sebelius was Obama's second choice to run the health department. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D, S.D.) removed his name from consideration after reports surfaced that he had failed to pay tens of thousands of dollars in federal income taxes on time. Sebelius faced her own late tax payment issue as well as controversy over her stances on abortion and comparative effectiveness research, but Democratic leaders were able to exceed the 60-vote margin required to overcome Republican objections and move to final approval.
American Medical Association President Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, congratulated Sebelius on her confirmation and said her experience as a Kansas governor and insurance commissioner made her well-suited to take the HHS helm and help implement needed health system reform.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/05/04/gvbf0504.htm.
