Alex Wong
Meet Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the new secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services who’s already being called the “anti-Kathleen Sebelius.” Burwell, a 48-year-old veteran of the Clinton administration's economic team, was confirmed Thursday by an overwhelming 78-17 Senate vote and already seems to have a friendlier relationship than her predecessor with both Democrats and Republicans. “What this proves is, put talented people into nomination and it doesn’t matter whether you’re Republican or Democrat,” said North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, among the first Republicans to pledge support for Burwell. “People acknowledge the talent.” Along with implementing Obamacare, Burwell will be tasked with overseeing the 11 agencies that make up HHS, including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, Medicare, and Medicaid.