The Senate yesterday evening easily confirmed Michael Leavitt as U.S. secretary of health and human services. The Senate also confirmed Jim Nicholson, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican and former Republican Party chairman, to be secretary of veterans affairs. Leavitt, the outgoing Environmental Protection Agency chief and a former Utah governor, has a reputation for being both conservative and innovative. He had widespread support from both political parties. President George W. Bush nominated Leavitt to succeed Tommy Thompson to head a massive department that includes many programs and agencies, including the Medicare health plan for the elderly, the Medicaid health plan for the poor, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health.
