Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius expressed strong support for healthcare reform in both of her confirmation hearings this week before Congress. The Senate Finance Committee could vote on her nomination as Department of Health and Human Services Secretary as early as next week.
If she is confirmed, Sebelius will play a key role in developing and administering the comprehensive healthcare reform legislation expected to pass Congress as early as June.
In her testimony before the Senate Finance Committee, Sebelius said she was honored that President Obama has asked her to fill "a critical role at such an important time."
"Rising health costs represent the greatest threat to our long-term economic
stability," she said. "If rapid health cost growth persists, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that by 2025, twenty-five percent of our economic output will be tied up in the health system, limiting other investments and priorities.""Leading the Department of Health and Human Services and working with the President
to reform the health system won't be easy," Sebelius added. "If it were, as the President has noted, our problems would have been solved a century ago. But the status quo cannot be sustained, and is unacceptable both for our economic prosperity and the health and wellness of the American people."Sebelius, a second-term Democratic governor in a Republican-dominated state, enjoys widespread bipartisan support. Her primary opposition comes from pro-life groups who challenge her liberal views on abortion and some Kansas Republicans who have criticized her leadership.
Prior to the hearing, Sebelius told committee leaders she had amended her past three years of tax returns and paid the IRS $7,000 in back taxes, due to "unintentional" errors. This gesture, taken by Obama critics as another opportunity to criticize the president's vetting process to find blemish-free cabinet members, is not expected to hinder her confirmation.
Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has indicated he would like a Senate vote on Sebelius' nomination before lawmakers leave this weekend for a two-week recess, but some Republicans suggested they may demand more time.