WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Finance Committee and its Health Care Subcommittee, welcomed the overwhelmlng confirmation Thursday of  Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Sylvia M. Burwell to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Shortly before the vote, Senator Cardin joined a bipartisan group of senators in supporting Burwell and urged her swift confirmation. Video of his remarks can be found here. He used the opportunity also to highlight the progress made by the Affordable Care Act.

“Sylvia Burwell has done an excellent job as the director of OMB. She is acknowledged by both Democrats and Republicans as being an outstanding manager. She is the right person at this time to manage this important department with over 70,000 workers across 11 agencies and a budget in excess of $1 trillion. I am proud that Maryland is home to many of these agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, and others.  These public servants work daily to keep Americans safe and healthy, find cures for diseases,  and help  our most vulnerable citizens in various stages of life. In addition, they are on the front lines of implementing the Affordable Care Act, ensuring Americans have access to comprehensive, quality health care. I’m pleased that Sylvia Burwell is willing to step forward at this time to serve the nation in this challenging role.”