奥巴马提名新的卫生部长人选
U.S. President Barack Obama named Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as health and human service secretary on Monday, after his first choice withdrew nomination due to tax issue.Obama noted at a press conference that the current economic crisis heightened the urgency of the challenge in the U.S. health care, which has been one of the fastest-growing expenses in the federal budget.
"Health care reform that reduces costs while expanding coverage is no longer just a dream we hope to achieve; it's a necessity we have to achieve," he said.
Obama said that Sebelius, daughter of a Democratic governor and a Republican congressman, embodies a commitment to bipartisan accomplishment, and has been on the front lines of health care crisis as a governor.
"I can think of no greater honor than to join you in this effort to transform our health care system and improve the lives of all Americans," said Sebelius at the press conference.
The 60-year-old female governor was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas.
She was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1986 and became state governor in 2002. Four years later, she won a re-election.
After Obama won presidential elections last year, Sebelius was considered to be on the short list for nomination to a position in his cabinet, but she officially withdrew her name from consideration on Dec. 6.
Her nomination came after Obama's first choice for health secretary, Tom Daschle, withdrew his nomination over tax issue last month.
At the Monday press conference, Obama also tapped a former Clinton administration official, Nancy-Ann Deparle, as director of the White House Office on Health Reform.
According to the president, Deparle, commissioner of the Department of Human Services in Tennessee, has seen "firsthand our health care system's impact on workers and families," and handled budget matters for federal health care programs during the Clinton administration.
"I have absolute confidence in her ability to lead the public and legislative effort to ensure quality, affordable health care for every American," Obama said of his choice.
Obama has been advocating health care reform since his presidential campaign last year. In his first address to the Congress last week, he listed health care as one of the three federal budget priorities to realize universal health care insurance for Americans.
Nominations of Sebelius and Deparle completed Obama's cabinet formation for the second time. After his first round of announcements of cabinet member designees, several of them withdrew nominations for reasons including tax issues, corruptions case investigation and difference with the president over key policy issues.
奥巴马提名新卫生部长人选
美国总统奥巴马2日在电视直播的白宫新闻发布会上宣布提名堪萨斯州女州长凯瑟琳·西贝利厄斯为卫生与公众服务部部长人选。
他同时还宣布从上个月国会通过的经济刺激方案中拨出1.55亿美元专项资金，用于在全国建设126个卫生保健中心，为没有医疗保险的人提供援助，并创造5500个就位岗位。
他还提名卫生保健专家南希－安·德帕尔为总统顾问兼白宫医疗保健改革办公室主任。
奥巴马说，西贝利厄斯和德帕尔将作为美国医疗政策团队负责人具体执行他的医疗改革计划，削减医疗成本，扩大和改善卫生服务质量。他指出，改革美国医疗保健系统不仅是一个道德义务，也是解决当前美国财政危机的关键之一。
西贝利厄斯现年60岁，早年先后就读于华盛顿三一大学和堪萨斯大学。她1974年从政，担任过堪萨斯州州议会议员和州保险专员。2002年当选堪萨斯州长，2006年成功连任至今。
西贝利厄斯是奥巴马提名的第二位卫生部长人选。今年２月，原卫生部长人选、前南达科他州国会参议员汤姆·达施勒因漏税问题撤回提名。
改革医疗保健体系是奥巴马施政重点之一。他上周提议在未来10年筹资6340亿美元，作为实施卫生保健体系改革的启动资金。因此卫生部长人选受到广泛关注。
页:
[1]