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Sylvia Mathews Burwell Sworn In as the New HHS Secretary

Summary: 
Vice President Joe Biden ceremonially swears in Sylvia Mathews Burwell as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Vice President Joe Biden swears in Sylvia Matthews Burwell as Secretary of Health and Human Services

Vice President Joe Biden swears in Sylvia Mathews Burwell, as Secretary of Health and Human Services, with her husband Stephen holding the bible, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. June 24, 2014. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

This afternoon, the Vice President ceremonially swore in Sylvia Mathews Burwell as the new Secretary of Health and Human Services.

On June 5, Secretary Burwell was confirmed by a strong, bipartisan majority of Senators. In a statement that day, President Obama commended the Senate and reiterated his support for Secretary Burwell as a proven manager:

I applaud the strong, bipartisan majority of Senators who today confirmed Sylvia Mathews Burwell as America’s next Secretary of Health and Human Services. Sylvia is a proven manager who knows how to deliver results, and over her career she has built deep relationships with Democrats and Republicans alike. I’m confident Sylvia’s unparalleled experience will serve her well in her new role as she works to ensure the safety of our food and drug supply, protect our nation from outbreaks or bioterror attacks, keep America at the forefront of medical research, and make sure every American has access to quality, affordable healthcare.

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