Gov. Kathleen SebeliusFrom the Star's Washington corrrespondent, David Goldstein
WASHINGTON -- Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius passed the first hurdle this morning on her way to becoming the government's chief health official.
By a vote of 15-8, the Senate Finance Committee approved her nomination as secretary of Health and Human Services.
She won the support of every Democrat on the committee plus two Republicans -- Sens. Pat Roberts of Kansas and Olympia Snowe of Maine.
The only vocal objection came from Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona who said he worried that Sebelius would be too quick to put limits on patient care. Kyl said Sebelius had a "insufficient commitment" to the right of Americans to choose their own doctor and health care plan.
Like the two earlier hearings on her nomination, Sebelius got a free pass as far as questions on both abortion and issues surrounding her personal finances.
Sebelius favors abortion rights. She also had misstated some political contributions from Dr. George Tiller who runs an abortion clinic in Wichita.
She also had to pay back taxes and interest when an accountant she hired found errors on her tax return.
Sebelius did not attend the hearing. Her nomination will now go to the full Senate for a vote, but a date for that vote has not been set.
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