WASHINGTON, D.C. — West Virginia native Sylvia Mathews Burwell will be nominated for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, various reports said Thursday evening, with the resignation of Kathleen Sebelius expected Friday.
News of the Sebelius resignation was called long overdue by critics who blamed her Sebelius for the roll-out problems with Obamacare.
Burwell, a native of Hinton, was appointed by the President Obama last year to lead the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Burwell was recently one of the administration’s lead spokespersons as the deadline for open enrollment in Obamacare came to a close March 31.
She told MetroNews affiliate WKLP in Keyser the Affordable Care Act would help West Virginia.
“There are number of issues in our state and people having the kind of health care that they need and deserve I think is going to make a big difference to the health and the happiness and productivity overall in the state,” she said.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin applauded Burwell’s pending nomination Thursday night with a statement released by his office:
“Sylvia’s experience in both the public and private sector, matched with the bipartisan relationships she has built over the years, shows that she is a public servant ready to take on this country’s challenges. I am confident that her leadership will ensure that we enact commonsense fixes to the Affordable Care Act to help improve the lives of millions of Americans.”