Two hours after the Senate voted 65-31 to confirm her as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Tuesday, Kathleen Sebelius was sworn in. The brief ceremony occurred in the Oval Office at 8:02 p.m.
During debate on her nomination earlier in the day, Senate Democrats said Sebelius possessed impeccable credentials for the challenges she would face, including a major public health threat with the swine flu and the revamping of a healthcare system that today accounts for 16 percent of the Gross National Product.
Sebelius, who resigned as governor of Kansas after the vote, went directly to the White House for swearing in. Then she went to work.
The first order of business: swine flu. White House counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan briefed her in the Situation Room.
Senators who spoke during floor debate earlier in the day most often mentioned the swine flu and healthcare reform as the most urgent challenges Sebelius faces.
"The case for reform of our healthcare system has never been stronger or more urgent," Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) said.
He noted the costs of doing nothing. If the system were left as is, he said, the cost of healthcare – as a percentage of the GNP – could double in 10 years. He also noted that financially troubled General Motors paid more for healthcare costs than for steel.
Others cited the 47 million people who are uninsured, of which 9 million are children.
"If that doesn't persuade you, the economic justification ought to persuade you," Dodd said. "Fixing the healthcare crisis is absolutely essential to fixing the economy."
After Sebelius was sworn in, President Barack Obama cited the importance of making healthcare affordable. He also mentioned food safety and the swine flu crisis.
Obama nominated Sebelius on March 2 after his first choice, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, disclosed that he owed $140,000 in back taxes and withdrew from consideration.
Sebelius herself faced a number of challenges during the nomination process, including $7,900 in back taxes and 11th hour efforts by anti-abortion leaders to derail her nomination.
Sen. Jon Kyle (R-Ariz.) raised objections Tuesday about her support of comparative effective research in medicine. He called it "a way to ration healthcare."
"This should be a matter of concern for every American," he said.
Photo obtained under Creative Commons license. -Ed