It took swine flu, and 13,000 petition signatures, to remind Republican Senators that cynical politicking can have real consequences for American lives.

After weeks of Republican maneuvers to delay a floor vote, the Senate yesterday voted 65-31 to confirm Kathleen Sebelius as HHS Secretary. Nine Republicans, including Sens. Snowe and Collins of Maine, joined Democratic colleagues in the "yea" column. (See how your Senator voted here.)

Immediately following the vote, Sebelius boarded a plane to Washington, where she was later sworn into office. President Obama later explained why was sworn in so quickly:

"We wanted to swear her in right away because we've got a significant public health challenge that requires her immediate attention. We need all hands on deck."

It's too bad it had to come to this--a near-pandemic that's already infected more than one thousand people--to drive home the urgency of filling vital government posts.

Secretary Sebelius will begin today working with Congress to increase funding for pandemic flu preparedness, vaccine production and aid to state and local governments. With more infections occurring daily, her confirmation is not a moment too soon.

In the past few days, our efforts were covered by scores of news outlets, including CNN and Politico. Republican Senators faced hard questions from reporters on their blocking of an HHS Secretary--especially in the midst of a growing health crisis.

Secretary Sebelius will have a major job ahead of her, but thanks in part to the efforts of health care activists nationwide, she's now able to address these challenges head-on.