Record of Kansas Gov. Sebelius on Health Care in State Could Indicate Actions as HHS Secretary

The actions that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) took to address her "state's recent budget crisis could prove a telling test run if she is appointed" as HHS secretary, CQ Politics reports. On Tuesday, Sebelius signed into law a bill that reduced the Kansas budget by about $300 million to address a $6.4 billion deficit, but the legislation in large part avoided reductions in spending for health care programs, such as Medicaid. According to CQ Politics, during her tenures as Kansas governor and state insurance commissioner, Sebelius has "fought the insurance industry, protected state health programs and boosted Medicaid pay to physicians."

Recent media reports indicate that Sebelius has emerged as the leading candidate for the nomination as HHS secretary after former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) earlier this month withdrew his nomination and resigned as director of the White House Office of Health Reform. White House officials have denied that President Obama has made a decision on a nominee for HHS secretary, but a department official has acknowledged that Sebelius is one of the leading candidates.

According to CQ Politics, Sebelius will visit Washington, D.C., from Feb. 21 until Feb. 24 for a conference held by the National Governors Association, but the conference ends on Feb. 23, "leaving her with some extra time in Washington and generating speculation that Obama will announce Sebelius as his nominee then," the Post reports (Armstrong, CQ Politics, 2/19).

Other Possible Candidates
Other possible candidates for the HHS secretary nominee include Nancy-Ann DeParle, a former CMS administrator and a former associate director for health and personnel at the White House Office of Management and Budget, and Jack Lew, who worked on health care reform in the Clinton administration and recently received confirmation as deputy secretary of state for management, Washington Post columnist Al Kamen reports. "There is a growing view that it may take two people to handle the twin roles Daschle had negotiated," according to the Post (Kamen, Washington Post, 2/20).

NPR's "All Things Considered" on Thursday examined possible candidates for HHS secretary and director of the White House Office of Health Reform (Rovner, "All Things Considered," NPR, 2/19).