When news came that Kathleen Sebelius was going to leave as head of the Health and Human Services Department, many expected Republicans would use Senate confirmation hearings with her replacement to hammer the Obama Administration over the Obama health law.
But the two hearings with Sylvia Burwell did not light the political landscape on fire in Washington, D.C., and that was plainly evident at a Wednesday afternoon hearing of the Senate Finance Committee.
"I have worked with her for the last year or so," said Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), who called Burwell 'competent.'
"To me, that says something, because so often we have people placed in positions in Washington who aren't competent for the task at hand," Coburn said in introducing Burwell at the hearing.
While Coburn is obviously no supporter of the Obama health law, his argument was that Burwell had shown during her time at the Office of Management and Budget that she can be trusted.
"It's not usual to get introduced by him in such terms," Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) said of Coburn. "He is a very strict judge of character."
Not only did Coburn's words please Rockefeller, but also the lackluster crowd in a large Senate hearing room, which is often used for contentious hearings.
"Actually this room isn't even half full," said Rockefeller..
While Republicans did press Burwell on various aspects of the health law, there were no sharp exchanges, no verbal jabs, nothing that would give you the feeling that the two parties had fought over this law non-stop for the last four years.
Burwell's performance was noted around D.C., as Jim Manley, a former spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, said Burwell "could write a how to book on what to do if you ever have to go through a confirmation process."
Burwell did make some news in the back and forth with Senators:
+ She assured Republicans that HHS would go after states that used federal grant money to set up an exchange, but then gave up and moved to use healthcare.gov.
"We have to understand what went wrong," Burwell said of troubled states like Oregon.
+ Asked whether there would be any more announcements to extend health insurance policies that are considered substandard, Burwell said she thought the feds had "made all the decisions that will take us through the next enrollment season."
+ Burwell assured Senators she would be accessible and answer their questions about the health law, something that did not occur with Sebelius and Medicare/Medicaid chief Marilyn Tavenner, whom Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) said has disappeared.
"Now it seems like she’s gone into the witness protection program, it’s been so long since she was last in that chair or at my door," Grassley said. "I hope that doesn’t happen with you. I hope you don’t disappear into the same bunker."
Burwell said her three goals for the Obama health law are to assure access, affordability and quality care - she might want to tack on to that the ability to have thick skin, as while GOP lawmakers treated her kindly in hearings, it won't be the same when a big story breaks about the health law.
"Right now there are a lot of people who feel enormously discouraged and misled, frankly, about the promises made over the implementation of Obamacare," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
A vote on Burwell's nomination could come as early as next week.
About the Author
