Senate panel backs Sebelius' HHS nod

In a nearly party-line vote, the Senate Finance Committee voted Tuesday to recommend the confirmation of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary-designate Kathleen Sebelius. Two committee Republicans voted with the Democrats: Sens. Olympia Snowe of Maine and Pat Roberts of Kansas, where Sebelius is the Democratic governor. The final tally was 11-5 (15-8 including proxy votes). If the Senate follows suit and swiftly votes to confirm Sebelius, President Obama would finally have a complete Cabinet nearly five months into his presidency. The absence of an HHS secretary has been particularly striking because health reform has emerged as one of the Obama administration's top priorities in the early months of 2009.