It's with great disappointment that we received news this morning that an "unnamed Republican Senator" put a hold on Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary. At a time when the U.S. economy is collapsing under the elephantine costs of our broken health care system, how is it that one anonymous Senator can obstruct filling the leadership post of our nation's top health agency?

As some Republican Senators continue pressing the politics of "no", reports are trickling out from the HHS and OMB with ominous warnings:

From KaiserNetwork.org: "U.S. health care spending has doubled from 1996 to 2006, reaching $2.2 trillion in 2007, or $7,421 per capita -- accounting for more than 16% of the gross domestic product, nearly double the average of other developed countries. According to the report, unless there is massive change, health care costs are expected to rise to 25% of GDP in 2025, and reach 49% by 2082."

The report also notes, "Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have more than doubled in the last nine years," adding, "As a result of these crushing health care costs, American businesses are losing their ability to compete in the global marketplace."

And Peter Orszag, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said recently, "The single most important thing we can do to put the nation on a sounder long-term fiscal footing is to reduce the rate of growth of health care costs."

Now, thanks to one anonymous Republican, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is forced to wait in the wings, watching the crisis deepen. During her initial confirmation hearing this week, Gov. Sebelius made it clear that once appointed to her post, she'd swing into action. "We face a health system that burdens families, businesses and government budgets with sky-rocketing costs," she said. "Action is not a choice. It's a necessity. ... Should I be confirmed, health reform will be my mission."

So, let us repeat Gov. Sebelius' words, but this time, let's direct our fury at one anonymous Republican Senator who, without explanation, has delayed filling this critical post in our government: "Action is not a choice. It's a necessity." Move forward with the confirmation process of Gov. Sebelius as HHS Secretary. Our families, our communities and our nation cannot afford to wait.

Sign our petition to Congress demanding action on Gov. Sebelius' confirmation: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/confirmsebelius

Multiple news sources, including NBC News, are reporting that Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-ND) "has accepted President-elect Barack Obama's offer to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services," and will therefore be nominated to the position. In that role, Daschle would be in charge of the FDA, Medicare and Medicaid, among other programs.

Former Sen. Daschle is considered an expert in health policy, having published a book earlier this year entitled "Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis). Recently, he has also "been working with former Senate leaders on recommendations to expand health coverage."

Strong praise of the pick has been coming in from both sides of the political aisle, with former Republican Rep. John Porter, who now chairs medical research advocacy group Research!America, saying that "it is a perfect appointment" and that Daschle will "do an outstanding job."

Top health policy blogger Ezra Klein is thrilled with the pick, and suggests what the appointment means for Obama's healthcare agenda:

"This is huge news, and the clearest evidence yet that Obama means to pursue comprehensive health reform. You don't tap the former Senate Majority Leader to run your health care bureaucracy. That's not his skill set. You tap him to get your health care plan through Congress. You tap him because he understands the parliamentary tricks and has a deep knowledge of the ideologies and incentives of the relevant players. You tap him because you understand that health care reform runs through the Senate. And he accepts because he has been assured that you mean to attempt health care reform."

"Tom Daschle is a bold choice for HHS secretary and a sign of hope that real change to fix our nation's health care crisis will soon come," writes SEIU's Anna Burger on Politico's daily online debate The Arena. "It will take real leadership to push through a solution to this crisis, and now Tom Daschle is in a position to provide it...It is going to be up to all of us -- citizens, business and government -- to fix our health care system, and it is good to see government moving in the right direction."

(A version of this blog also posted at Healthcare United).