Sebelius nomination, stalled, but not derailedApril 6, 2009

While there remain many issues to be addressed in the hearings on the nomination of Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D-Kansas) as the new Secretary of HHS, it would seem that her nomination is more likely than not.  The failure to pay taxes however, remains a hauntingly familiar theme among nominees of President Obama.  One has to wonder why this is the case.  In any event, Governor Sebelius is likely to be confirmed in which case she will have a full plate.  This site looks forward to offering REAL solutions to her as she grapples with the tough issues ahead . . . obi jo

Sebelius confirmation hearing fails to end in vote.
Governor Sebelius’ confirmation hearing on April 2, before which “Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) predicted the Senate would confirm her the same day, but he later said further action was being blocked by an unnamed GOP senator, pushing the vote until after the two-week spring recess. The unnamed GOP senator has been rumored to be Jim Bunning (KY), who delayed the confirmation because he objected to an expedited procedure to move the nomination to a vote in the Senate Finance Committee.  Nominee Sebelius broke new ground in her comments before the Finance panel by saying that she thinks a healthcare overhaul should fill the coverage gap in Medicare’s prescription drug benefit known as the ‘doughnut hole.’ Congressional Democrats have shied away from talk of filling the gap because of the tens of billions of dollars in expenses involved. Sebelius has said she would welcome legislation giving the HHS secretary authority to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs covered by the Medicare program.

Read @ cq.com and cq.healthbeat