[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9445-9446]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           BURWELL NOMINATION

  Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, after months and months of polarizing and 
divisive debate in the Senate about the Affordable Care Act, I rise 
today to strongly support the nomination of Sylvia Mathews Burwell 
because I firmly believe she will help the Senate come together to 
jointly work to improve American health care.
  The reality is both political parties have had valid points on this 
critical issue. My party believes passionately, as I do, that everyone 
must be covered. Republicans feel equally passionate

[[Page 9446]]

about having a real role for the private sector to help hold down costs 
and promote innovation. The Affordable Care Act does both. Working 
together, working together under the leadership of a talented official 
like Sylvia Mathews Burwell, we can build on that.
  Ms. Burwell has earned much respect here in the Congress on both 
sides of the aisle. She had our distinguished colleague from Oklahoma 
Tom Coburn and our friend from West Virginia Jay Rockefeller at the 
witness table together talking about how she had worked with both of 
them. She is a leader with a head and a heart, and she is qualified and 
experienced for this critical job at this critical time.
  She is a graduate of Harvard and Oxford, where she was a Rhodes 
Scholar. Early in her career, she showed a commitment to service by 
becoming part of the Clinton administration. She was the Staff Director 
of the National Economic Council beginning in 1993. Soon she 
transitioned to be Chief of Staff to the Treasury Secretary. In 1997, 
she became Deputy Chief of Staff to the President and moved the 
following year to become the Deputy Director of OMB.
  She has extensive experience in the nonprofit sector. She led efforts 
to address some of the most pressing global health challenges of our 
time. In 2011 she became the head of the Walmart Foundation.
  I noted Sylvia Mathews Burwell's support, but here are a couple 
comments from the other side of the aisle. Senator Burr had this to say 
about Sylvia Mathews Burwell: ``She comes with a portfolio of 
experience that would make her a tremendous asset at addressing some of 
the challenges that that agency specifically and uniquely has.''
  Here is what Senator Coburn had to say: ``The fact is, when you have 
somebody that's competent and also has strong character, you find a way 
to get past your differences to try to solve problems.''
  So she has strong, vigorous support from both sides of the aisle.
  Now, we all understand that the Affordable Care Act is going to be a 
central focus of her work every day as Secretary. Once she is 
confirmed, I am convinced--and Senator Hatch and I have talked about 
this again on a bipartisan basis--that we can come together to make the 
law work better.
  For example, my colleague from Utah has done very good work in fixing 
the dysfunctional reimbursement system for Medicare known as the SGR. 
With Sylvia Mathews Burwell at the helm, we will get that done, and we 
will improve Medicare transparency because the public and taxpayers and 
seniors should not be in the dark about critical services.
  I know Senator Begich is going to be making some important remarks 
about veterans, and I just appreciate my colleague giving me this quick 
minute or two because I wanted to bring a bipartisan case for Sylvia 
Mathews Burwell to be confirmed. We will have the beginning of the 
process go forward today and more discussion about her and, I am sure, 
the Affordable Care Act as well.
  I strongly, strongly urge my colleagues to advance her nomination and 
to support her when we go to a final vote.
  With that, I thank my colleague and yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.

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