Former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius was confirmed by the Senate last week as the Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, filling a crucial cabinet post in the Obama administration.
Sebelius has served as governor since 2002 and was early supporter of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. She was rumored to be among then-candidate Obama’s vice presidential shortlist in the summer of 2008 and was again expected to be placed somewhere in the president’s administration after the election.
After the failure to appoint Tom Daschle to the HHS position due to tax problems, Sebelius was chosen to fill the void. Despite having tax issues of her own, Sebelius was able to pass through the Senate with little resistance.
There were also concerns that Sebelius might have trouble from the pro-life community because of her stand on abortion but, in the end, the numbers weren’t there to block her appointment and she easily won confirmation by a vote of 65-31.
In a departing video message at www.kansas.gov, Sebelius thanked Kansas residents for their support and their determination during tough times, including the Greensburg tornado in May 2007, but the call from Washington was too strong and Sebelius said she must serve in the Obama administration.
“But I am committed to service, and when the President asked me to accept a position in his Cabinet, I could not refuse. I felt obligated to answer President Obama’s call to work with him on the challenges of providing affordable health care for all Americans, delivering essential services to our most vulnerable populations and maximizing our resources to benefit the health of all of our citizens,” Sebelius said.
Sophomore Ryan Huene says that Obama’s pick was the right one.
“I wasn’t surprised, I truly believe she was the right pick,” Huene said.
Sebelius has arrived in Washington at the opening of Obama’s next 100 days in office and it is expected that the healthcare debate will heat up as the summer progresses.
Blaine Finch, a part-time political science professor at OU, says President Obama’s healthcare plan is ambitious but if the economy comes back there could be plan passed late this or early next year.
As secretary of HHS, Sebelius will play a crucial role in the president’s healthcare agenda but Obama will have a constant hand on the process as this is one of his top priorities.
“It will start at the White House and carry a lot of water but she will not be a puppet. It is too important to delegate to others. Clinton found that out in 1993 and Obama is going to have a lot of control,” Finch said.
Huene agrees now that Sebelius is in place that healthcare will be tackled sooner than later but questions where the money will come from.
Finch also said that a major task for Sebelius will be to complete the leadership at the department as there are still a number of unfilled positions.
The departure of Sebelius will move Mark Parkinson into the governorship. Parkinson’s term as the 45th governor of Kansas will end in 2010 and he has stated that he will not run for reelection. This means that there will be an open seat which is what was expected as Sebelius’ terms limit would have expired in 2010.
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