HHS Nominee On Track For Confirmation By Senate

Sebelius, on the other hand, appears set to win confirmation smoothly. Earlier this week the administration disclosed that she recently filed amended tax returns for three years after an accountant she hired discovered the errors.

The top Republican on the Finance Committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, raised the tax issue in his opening statement Thursday and told her, "I take tax matters very seriously and I am eager for you to address those matters today." But Grassley didn't return to the issue during questioning, and Sebelius didn't bring it up.

Sebelius had the backing of both of Kansas' Republican senators, Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback — the latter a strong anti-abortion figure — and no senator raised abortion on Thursday or during a hearing Tuesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Republican senators pressed Sebelius on Thursday to oppose a parliamentary maneuver that would allow health reform legislation to pass the Senate with 51 votes instead of a filibuster-proof 60 votes. Sebelius reiterated that she hoped for a bipartisan solution but didn't want to take anything off the table.

There was also discussion of whether any health overhaul should include a government-run insurance option. Sebelius expanded on her support for the concept, saying that Kansas' state employees' health system includes a public plan that competes with private insurers without putting them out of business.