This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
WASHINGTON - Former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt's nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services received the quick, unanimous approval of the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, clearing the way for a full Senate vote expected today.
Leavitt spent part of Tuesday visiting his staff at the Environmental Protection Agency, where he spent the past 15 months as administrator, thanking aides for their dedication and hard work in anticipation of the impending Senate vote.
Republican leaders had hoped to get Leavitt confirmed Tuesday night, but debate over President Bush's selection of National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice to become secretary of state bogged down and forced Leavitt's vote to be delayed.
Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., had threatened to put a hold on Leavitt's nomination, preventing a vote unless he was promised a vote on a bill he is co-sponsoring that would allow prescription drug imports from Canada. But Dorgan said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist promised a hearing on his bill within the next 90 days and he agreed not to block Leavitt's confirmation.
"He's going to make it," said Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch following the Finance Committee vote. "He's going to be just fine."
If he is approved by the Senate, as expected, Leavitt would become head of a department with a budget of nearly $550 billion.
The Department of Health and Human Services oversees health coverage for 40 million seniors and 50 million needy Americans. It houses the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates prescription drugs and food safety. And it manages public health programs, including the response to terrorist attacks and disease outbreaks.
Leavitt will have a number of contentious issues on his plate, including involvement in the drug importation debate, implementing a new $534 billion drug benefit for seniors by 2006 and dealing with critics of the FDA's approval of popular drugs which later were recalled due to health risks.
Leavitt has been in discussions in the past week with the Office of Government Ethics to resolve conflict-of-interest concerns involving his part ownership of The Leavitt Group, the family's insurance company started by his father. But those matters have been settled.