Lawmakers set to confirm Sylvia Mathews Burwell as HHS secretary

U.S. lawmakers are set to confirm Sylvia Mathews Burwell as President Barack Obama's new Health and Human Services secretary, Reuters reported.

The Senate voted 67-28 on Wednesday to approve Burwell, with the final confirmation vote scheduled for today, which will allow her to take over the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) from outgoing Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Sebelius--the public face of the botched HealthCare.gov rollout--stepped down from her post in April after five years of service.

Democrats hope Burwell will bring a fresh face to the ACA five months before the November midterm congressional elections, after the botched rollout damaged public opinion regarding the law and what it means for the future of healthcare, according to the article.

Campaigning against the law helped Republicans in the off year, and the party hopes for premium increases before the midterm elections, which combined with the country's dislike for the refort, could lift them up in the polls and help win the Senate majority in 2015, FierceHealthcare previously reported.

Burwell, who is respected among both Democrats and Republicans, currently serves as Obama's budget director. Her experience in the private sector, outreach skills, budget expertise and non-partisan credibility suggest the confirmation is imminent.

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