Kathleen Sebelius Questioned in Senate Confirmation Hearing for Secretary of Health and Human Services

Kathleen Sebelius Questioned in Senate Confirmation Hearing for Secretary of Health and Human Services in Politics and Legislation

Today, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius started her journey to the Department of Health and Human Services in a Senate confirmation hearing.

When Republican Senators pressed Sebelius to articulate her position on government-run health care, the Kansas governor said she wasn’t for such a system, but did support a national health insurance exchange to compete with private health plans.

Sebelius also said the group health insurance system through employers should remain in tact, which was a point of disagreement with a tough questioner in U.S. Senator John McCain. Senator McCain in his unsuccessful presidential bid in 2008 proposed removing the tax break for employers who provide health benefits.

Senate Republicans also asked the HHS nominee if she would support breaking up the Food and Drug Administration, reported the Wall Street Journal.

Governor Sebelius replied it was too soon to say whether it should be divided, but said there was a need for “a new platform for safety and security of food and drugs in this country,” wrote the WSJ article.

To better explain the nomination process, Governor Sebelius’ path to nomination began today in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Then on Thursday, she’ll face questioning from the Senate Finance Committee.

Finally, if the Finance Committee gives her the go-ahead, the full U.S. Senate will vote to approve her nomination. She’ll need a majority vote to get the job.

Things look pretty good for her. And believe it or not, around 99 percent of all Cabinet nominations are approved.

To view an excerpt of today’s hearing, courtesy of the Associated Press, check it out below:

Comments[0]