Senator Warner encouraged his colleagues today to confirm Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Senator Warner said Governor Sebelius's record of bipartisanship "brings a unique set of skills to the challenge" of leading health care reform and responding to the outbreak of swine influenza.  

As we move forward on the issue of health care reform, we need and President Obama needs someone who has got a long-term record of building bridges between parties. ... 

It is essential for the health of the nation that President Obama has in place – and the nation has in place – a strong Secretary of Health and Human Services to make sure that our federal efforts on this potential pandemic are ably coordinated. 

Senator Warner worked closely with Governor Sebelius when he served as chairman of the National Governors Association in 2005 and brokered a bipartisan consensus on Medicaid, which will be an important part of the federal health care reform debate.  

Click here to read his floor speech.