April 21,2009

Baucus Applauds Committee Vote on Sebelius

Committee moves to approve chief health official, nomination heads to Senate Floor

Washington, DC – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D?Mont.) today applauded the Senate Finance Committee’s vote to favorably report the nomination of Governor Kathleen Sebelius to be Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary during a health care reform roundtable event including health care policy and industry experts, and Finance Committee members. The committee voted 15 to eight to report the nomination. Baucus has supported Sebelius as the right candidate to partner with Congress to achieve comprehensive health reform this year.

“I congratulate Governor Sebelius and will push for immediate action by the full Senate so that she can finally roll up her sleeves and get down to helping out on this critical work of reforming the health care system. Too many families and businesses are hurting as a result of the health care crisis and I believe Governor Sebelius is the right person to help create a lower cost, higher quality health care system that Americans need,” said Baucus.

The Finance Committee has jurisdiction over federally financed health care programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services like Medicare, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

# # #