US Senate confirms new US health secretary

 The US Senate confirmed Sylvia Mathews Burwell Thursday as the nation’s new health secretary.
The 78-17 vote was a bipartisan show of support for the veteran government manager who most recently served as President Barack Obama’s budget director.
Burwell’s attention will immediately turn to the Health and Human Services (HHS) department’s newest mission: covering the uninsured under Obama’s healthcare law. Despite a strong finish to open enrollment this year, HealthCare.gov is still dealing with unresolved issues ranging from possibly inaccurate insurance payments to e-commerce basics.