Kathleen Sebelius became the final member of President Obama's Cabinet to win Senate confirmation Tuesday, as the chamber voted 65-31 to approve her appointment as HHS secretary. Under an agreement with Republicans, the confirmation required 60 votes to be approved.
Sebelius, 60, immediately announced her resignation as Kansas governor, allowing Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson, a former state Republican chairman turned Democrat, to ascend to the state's top elected office.
President Obama administered the oath of office to Sebelius just after 8 p.m. Obama tapped Sebelius for the HHS post in early March, after his first choice, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., withdrew from consideration following revelations he owed about $140,000 in back taxes and interest.
Sebelius also faced tax questions, but survived after paying about $8,000 in back taxes and interest because of what she called unintentional errors. Sebelius still faced opposition from Republicans, though, including senators concerned about her lack of experience in health care policy and for support she received from a Kansas physician who provides abortions.
By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
Say this about Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.: On just about any issue, you know exactly where he stands. On the nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to head HHS, Coburn is not just voting "no" but saying that confirming her will help destroy the country. Because of her support for abortion rights, Coburn said, her ascension to the job will put the United States "on our way to oblivion as a nation."
Other Republicans, including Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, said they would vote against confirmation because of her backing of government-backed health care. Bennett said his opposition wasn't partisan but was based on his view that nationalized health care "doesn't work." The vote is expected late this afternoon or early this evening. Even Coburn acknowledged that Sebelius is likely to be confirmed.
By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
The Senate will vote Tuesday on the nomination of Kansas Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be HHS secretary. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the nomination will be subject to a 60-vote threshold following eight hours of debate.
Sebelius is expected to be confirmed, but debate on her nomination could be contentious, given that her opponents are upset over her support for abortion rights, particularly late-term abortions. Some Republicans claim she was not forthcoming about contributions she received during her run for insurance commissioner from a Kansas abortion provider, George Tiller.
Sebelius claimed she had received $12,450 from Tiller, but amended the number to about $35,000 after press reports found discrepancies.
The 15-8 Senate Finance Committee vote last week on the nomination fell largely along party lines. Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, crossed the aisle to support Sebelius.
Finance ranking member Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, told Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., his "no" vote was not meant to foretell a partisan tone for the upcoming debate on overhauling the nation's health care system.
By ANNA EDNEY, CongressDaily
Despite opposition to Democratic Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' nomination to serve as HHS secretary, a Senate GOP aide said Wednesday Republicans had not placed any holds on the confirmation.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is expected to be forced to file cloture on the nomination, the aide said, because he will not receive unanimous consent to proceed directly to a vote. Republicans oppose Sebelius, in part, for her policy positions and her support of abortion rights.
But one of the Senate's staunchest abortion opponents, GOP Sen. Sam Brownback, happens to be from Kansas and said he plans to support Sebelius. "That's pretty typical for in-state senators to support the nominee from their home state," said Brownback, a contender for the Kansas governor's race next year.
His staff even researched the situation and found just two cases where senators opposed Cabinet nominees from their home states. Sen. Pat Roberts, also a Kansas Republican, supports Sebelius as well and voted for her during Finance Committee approval.
By ANNA EDNEY, CongressDaily
Updated 3:45 p.m.
The Senate Finance Committee today gave Democratic Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius the green light to head HHS, signaling that President Obama will soon be able to finish filling his Cabinet. Senate Democratic leaders are working to get a full Senate vote soon, a spokeswoman for Majority Leader Harry Reid said.
The Finance Committee's 15-8 vote fell largely along party lines; all Republicans -- except Sens. Olympia Snowe of Maine and Pat Roberts of Kansas -- voted no. Some of those opposing Sebelius cited her support of abortion rights, while others expressed dissatisfaction with her answers to questions raised during confirmation hearings.
An aide to Senate Finance ranking member Charles Grassley said the Iowa Republican felt Sebelius had failed to respond candidly when lawmakers asked her to explain campaign contributions from George Tiller, a prominent physician in Kansas who performs abortions. Sebelius originally said she received about $12,000 from Tiller during her run for Kansas insurance commissioner. Reports later revealed that Sebelius received nearly $40,000 from Tiller and his wife, either directly or through a PAC.
Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl criticized the nominee's position on health care policy, arguing that she would eliminate choice, particularly in treatment options. Kyl said she failed to promise the government would "not use comparative effectiveness research as a tool to deny care." The latest stimulus package included $1.1 billion for research that compares the effectiveness of medical treatments. Some Republicans argue such research could be used to block access to the best care.
The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a Tuesday vote to approve President Obama's choice of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be HHS secretary, the Associated Press reported. She is expected to be confirmed despite concerns raised by anti-abortion-rights activists recently over campaign contributions she got from a Kansas physician who performs abortions and a flap over taxes. Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., has endorsed her nomination.
By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
The Senate Finance Committee is not likely to consider the nomination of Kansas Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be HHS secretary before for the two-week spring recess.
The committee typically does not take a vote on a nominee until questions senators submit in writing are answered.
Given that Sebelius went before the committee Thursday, it is unlikely she will answer all those questions by today, according to a Republican committee aide. Finance ranking member Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, alone submitted 79 questions.
Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mt., had hoped to send her nomination to the full Senate for a vote before senators left town.
President Obama's first choice for HHS secretary, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., took himself out of the running in February amid tax problems. Sebelius has tax troubles as well, albeit on a much smaller scale, and they do not seem to be affecting her nomination.
By ANNA EDNEY, CongressDaily
Senate leaders are attempting to confirm Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas as Health and Human Services secretary this week. The task is no small feat given today's budget votes, but senators hope to get her installed in the post before they leave for the two-week spring recess.
"That's the whole reason we're having this hearing, to get her confirmed this week," Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said today as Sebelius faced questions from panel members. Former Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole, R-Kan., introduced Sebelius at the hearing and asked the committee to confirm her this week. Referring to HHS headquarters, he joked that Sebelius "can't even get in the building." It was her second hearing this week, following one Tuesday with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
Senate Finance ranking member Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said today that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' $7,000 tax error should not disqualify her from serving as HHS chief, the Associated Press reported. Grassley told reporters in a conference call that he felt Sebelius made "a good-faith effort" to pay her taxes correctly in the first place, and errors discovered in a recent review should not count against her. However, Grassley said he is still reserving judgment on her until confirmation hearings.
By ANNA EDNEY, CongressDaily
Kansas Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius Tuesday became the latest Obama administration Cabinet nominee to have tax problems come to light.
The HHS secretary nominee informed the Senate Finance Committee that she and her husband paid $7,040 in back taxes and $878 in interest for 2005, 2006 and 2007 taxes after a review by a certified public accountant found the errors. Sebelius characterized the discrepancies as "unintentional."
Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., stood behind Sebelius and called for quick action on her nomination.
"Congress is going to need a strong partner at the Department of Health and Human Services to achieve comprehensive health reform this year, and we have that partner in Gov. Sebelius," Baucus said in a statement. "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."
Sebelius is set to appear before the Finance panel Thursday.
Finance ranking member Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, is waiting to make a decision on Sebelius, a spokeswoman said.
Continue reading Sebelius Discloses Tax Troubles Of Her Own.
By ANNA EDNEY, CongressDaily
Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas told senators today that overhauling the nation's health care system will be her main mission if confirmed as HHS secretary. "Inaction is not an option. The status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable," Sebelius said, echoing President Obama.
Sebelius endured a fairly easy hearing today, volleying questions from Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee members. Questions ranged from government-run health care to the use of budget reconciliation to the reimportation of prescription drugs, most of which she artfully dodged. HELP ranking member Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., pressed Sebelius on whether she supports using reconciliation to pass a health care overhaul, comparing the fast-track budget process to "a declaration of war." Sebelius declined to give details, saying only Congress should be "involved and engaged in the process." When asked by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., about government-run health care, Sebelius said she opposes the concept but supports a "public option side-by-side with private insurers in some kind of exchange."
In light of recent salmonella outbreaks, including one announced Monday involving pistachios, Sebelius did not rule out handing FDA's food safety responsibilities to a new agency. Declaring it premature to discuss dividing the agency, she said, "However the FDA operates, we have to have a new platform for the safety of our food supply." She avoided the subject of reimportation, which would allow Americans to purchase cheaper drugs from other countries. While she would like to explore avenues to obtain high-quality, low-cost drugs, Sebelius said FDA first needs to restore its reputation.
Sebelius will face more questioning Thursday when she appears before the Senate Finance Committee. The HELP hearing today was a courtesy hearing, while the Finance Committee is tasked with approving Sebelius' nomination.
By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
The Senate Finance Committee will hold a confirmation hearing next Thursday for Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be HHS secretary, the panel announced Thursday.
Sebelius, a Democrat who was President Obama's second choice for the post after former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., withdrew from consideration, is expected to face little opposition.
On Tuesday, Sebelius also will appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in what is being billed as a courtesy hearing.
In other confirmation news, three top Justice Department division nominees won approval Thursday in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
On a single voice vote, the committee approved former Federal Trade Commissioner Christine Varney to head the antitrust division, San Francisco attorney Tony West to lead the civil division and Lanny Breuer, a special counsel to former President Bill Clinton, as head of the criminal division.
By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
David Blumenthal, a former Harvard Medical School professor who has advised Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Edward Kennedy and former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, is President Obama's choice to lead health information technology efforts in the new administration. Blumenthal, a physician who was a senior adviser to Obama's presidential campaign last year, will become the national coordinator for health information technology at HHS. He will play a key role in determining how to spend $19 billion devoted to medical technology in the recently enacted economic stimulus bill. Blumenthal most recently has been director of the Institute for Health Policy at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Partners HealthCare System.
By AMY HARDER
(Credit: Rick Bloom/National Journal)
President Obama today announced his nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) as secretary of Health and Human Services, filling a vacancy that opened up almost a month ago when Tom Daschle pulled out amid revelations that he had failed to pay his back taxes.
Obama also named Nancy-Ann DeParle, administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration during the Clinton administration, as his choice to lead the newly minted Office of Health Reform. Since leaving HCFA in 2000, DeParle has been serving on corporate boards and working at a New York private equity firm, Harvard University and Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Obama touted Sebelius' willingness to work across the aisle and DeParle's extensive experience on health care regulatory issues. Sebelius has "bridged the partisan divide and worked a Republican legislature to get things done for the people of Kansas," the president said at a White House press conference. She "knows health care inside and out."
"Kathleen and Nancy share my resolve," the president said. "I look forward to working with them as we begin the urgent and immediate task of ensuring quality, affordable health care for every American."
He also underscored the importance of working with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., lawmakers the administration deems crucial in passing health care.
Sebelius was re-elected in 2006 for her second term as governor, and she endorsed Obama in January 2008. Before her governorship, she served eight years as Kansas insurance commissioner. (Subscribers can read her full profile in the Almanac of American Politics here.) While Daschle was slated to fill both the HHS post and the White House health czar, Obama has chosen to split the role between two appointments.
In her remarks at the press conference, Sebelius drew parallels between the ailing economy and health care, stressing that "we can't fix the economy without fixing health care." She went on to emphasize her commitment to working across the aisle. "This isn't a partisan challenge; it's an American challenge, and one that we can't afford to ignore," she said.
Continue reading Obama Announces Sebelius For HHS, DeParle As Health Czar.
Last week on National Journal's Health Care Expert Blog, contributors weighed in on how both Tom Daschle's withdrawal and the economic stimulus package -- slated to be signed today by President Obama in Denver -- have affected plans to reform health care in 2009.
While rumors have been floating around about whom Obama will appoint as HHS secretary, the White House has acknowledged that "we are vetting," but would not elaborate further, according to the Washington Post. Some names that have surfaced include Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean.
The outlook for health care reform in 2009 is not bright from the perspective of James P Gelfand, senior manager of health policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who noted Daschle's "unique" qualifications for the HHS post and argued that "his loss will definitely delay and cost the process." Ultimately, Gelfand said, lawmakers should not hastily push health care through this year.
Others, however, are not discouraged by either the delayed HHS appointment or the ailing economy. Ron Pollack, executive director for FamiliesUSA, said Daschle's withdrawal "will not significantly slow down the health care reform effort." He stressed that "reform rests with the President and the key committee chairs that have jurisdiction over health care" -- such as Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. These lawmakers have all expressed a commitment to achieving reform this year, Pollack said.
This assertion was confirmed by Sen. Baucus himself, who wrote on the blog that reform is "not only possible in 2009, it is imperative." Baucus, who chairs the Finance Committee, said that once the stimulus package was out of the way he would refocus the panel's attention onto health care.
Meanwhile, the new secretary of HHS, whoever it is, will be "confronted with two interrelated challenges," according to USC professor Leonard D. Schaeffer. He or she must 1) be knowledgeable about the politics of health care and 2) assess internally the management issues facing the department. For successful reform, Schaeffer writes, HHS "needs to change."
By AMY HARDER
The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder and Time's Mark Halperin are reporting that Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) may be the choice for Health and Human Services secretary. Ambinder writes that the governor, who is widely known for cutting costs more than pushing for universal health care, is in "serious discussions" with the White House about the position.
Obama would likely face serious pushback on Bredesen from left-leaning groups expecting universal health care legislation early in his administration. Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack said that Bredesen "presided over the largest public health cutbacks in the history of our nation, and his actions are the antithesis of the president's desired direction for health care reform." How does he compare to Obama's first choice for the job? "He's the polar opposite of Tom Daschle," Pollack said. He added that he found it "very difficult to imagine" Obama picking Bredesen and could not think of any reason why he would.
Pollack mentioned some names that his organization would prefer to see leading the way on health care: Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D).
Bredesen's Almanac profile is available to subscribers here.
The pundit class is already buzzing with reaction to former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's withdrawal as Health and Human Services Secretary-designate today. Here are a few initial takes:
"This just in," quips the Dallas Morning News' Todd J. Gillman. "If you want a cabinet post, and you haven't paid your taxes, try to get confirmed before all the other nominees who haven't paid all their taxes."
"Why did Barack Obama stick by him so defiantly for so long?" wonders Philip Sherwell of the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph. "And in the current horrendous economic climate, how did he think this was playing outside the Beltway? And what happened to that much-vaunted vetting process?"
"Odds are that Daschle could have gutted out the hearings and won confirmation, but he and/or the Obama administration weren't willing to deal with the distraction and were concerned about his lobbyist-like activities," CBSNews.com editor in chief Daniel Farber asserts.
The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder questions whether Daschle withdrew too soon: "The fact remains that until late last night, not a single senator, Republican or Democrat, came out against Daschle's confirmation. This morning, there was only one -- Sen. Jim DeMint."
And in case anyone doubts the influence of the editorial boards, NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports that Daschle made his decision to withdraw after reading this morning's New York Times editorial calling upon him to do so.
For its part, however, the Times speculates -- in an update to that same editorial -- that Daschle may have been "propelled" to withdraw after Nancy Killefer, the former White House chief performance czar, withdrew her nomination to be White House chief performance officer today because of her own tax woes.And Moving On...
Reuters has a list of possible second choices for HHS, including former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
But The American Prospect's Ezra Klein doesn't think Dean or former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber will be nominated.
"One of the tactical arguments in favor of keeping Daschle was that it wasn't clear who had the combination of stature and health care knowledge to replace him." The New Republic's Noam Scheiber suggests Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
By GEORGE E. CONDON JR., CongressDaily
President Obama pulled former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's nomination to be HHS secretary today after Daschle said he did not want tax problems to distract from the need to reform America's health care system.
"I accept his decision with sadness and regret," Obama said in a statement issued by the White House. Obama said Daschle erred by not paying nearly $140,000 in back taxes and interest until last month, but said that mistake should not overshadow Daschle's long career in public service.
Daschle had been picked to be the architect of the Obama administration's high-profile effort to overhaul the health care system. Instead, his departure and the search for his replacement will bring that process to a halt.
In a statement issued late this morning, Daschle called the nomination "one of the signal honors of an improbable career." He said he asked to withdraw because the president needed someone who could lead "without distraction" and Congress needed to focus on efforts to revive the economy and provide health care rather than being sidetracked by his nomination.
Daschle's nomination had been viewed as a slam dunk when it was announced, given his former leadership of the body that would confirm him. But revelations that he had recently paid back taxes and penalties put the brakes on his confirmation.
The bulk of the back taxes stem from a car service provided by a private equity investment fund run by Leo Hindery Jr., a friend of Daschle's and a major Democratic fundraiser.
It took little more than an hour for the American Medical Association to register their approval of President-elect Obama's announcement this morning that former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle was his pick for secretary of Health and Human Services. The group reserves special praise for Daschle's efforts to expand health care coverage; as HHS secretary, he is likely to serve as the administration's point person on health care reform.
The American Medical Association congratulates former Senator Tom Daschle on his nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services and the new White House Office of Health Reform. The creation of this new position highlights the importance and priority of health system reform to the new administration. As we work to reform the health care system, former Senator Daschle has a firm grasp of the complex issues and has demonstrated a commitment to working with physicians and other stakeholders to strengthen the system.Like President-elect Obama and former Senator Daschle, the AMA is committed to covering all Americans and improving the quality, value and affordability of patient care. We look forward to working with former Senator Daschle and the new Congress and administration to enact health system reforms.
Barack Obama could put former Sen. Tom Daschle in charge of the Department of Health & Human Services, where he would presumably help steer any health care plan Obama puts forward. In a National Journal panel held during the Democratic National Convention this summer, Daschle talked about the problems with the nation's health care system and about what parts of Obama's agenda would be easiest to pass.
Barack Obama's reported decision to ask former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to head the Department of Health and Human Services was batted around on the political talk shows Wednesday night and this morning.
CNN and Roll Call are reporting that former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle has accepted President-elect Barack Obama's offer to head up the Department of Health and Human Services, citing sources "close to Daschle."
Daschle, who has been an adviser to Obama throughout his campaign, was considered a leading contender for the position. He is also heading up the Obama team's health care policy working group, tasked with determining how to translate Obama's priorities into specific policy proposals.
For more on Daschle's career, see his Almanac of American Politics profile here.
