page_title: Sylvia Mathews Burwell
section_title: The Affordable Care Act
hierarchical_section_title: Sylvia Mathews Burwell / Career / Health and Human Services Secretary / The Affordable Care Act
caption_attribution_description: President Barack Obama drops by the Rural Council meeting in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House, Feb. 3, 2016. The President is flanked by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, left, and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews-Burwell at right. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
context_page_description: Sylvia Mary Mathews Burwell is an American government and non-profit executive, who is the 15th president of American University since June 1, 2017. She is the first woman to serve as the university's president. She earlier served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. President Barack Obama nominated Burwell on April 11, 2014. Burwell's nomination was confirmed by the Senate on June 5, 2014, by a vote of 78-17. She served as Secretary until the end of the Obama administration. Previously, she had been the Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget from 2013 to 2014.
  A West Virginia native, Burwell first worked for the United States government in Washington, D.C., during the presidency of Bill Clinton. She helped form the National Economic Council in 1993. She later served as Chief of Staff to Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin, Deputy White House Chief of Staff to Erskine Bowles, and finally Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
  Between her times in government, Burwell served as president of Walmart's charitable foundation focused on ending hunger, beginning in January 2012.
context_section_description: Burwell's tenure as HHS secretary began ahead of the Affordable Care Act's second open-enrollment period for healthcare insurance, in November 2014. In preparation for the enrollment period, Burwell hired additional staff to coordinate operations. The first open-enrollment period, which had occurred during Secretary Sebelius' tenure, was marred by technical difficulties with the Healthcare.gov website. In preparation for the second enrollment period, the HealthCare.gov website underwent various testing actions. The Secretary noted the website had been reconfigured, reducing the number of screens from over seventy to just over a dozen website pages, in an effort to make the application process smoother.
  Because of her position as Secretary of HHS, Burwell was the named party in multiple lawsuits related to the Affordable Care Act. One month into her tenure, the Supeme Court decided Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby, where the court struck down the implementation of the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate as violating Hobby Lobby's religious freedom. The Supreme Court also decided King v. Burwell, a case in which the Court upheld the Affordable Care Act's subsidies for healthcare plans purchased on federal exchanges.
  In July 2016, ahead of the 2016 elections, Burwell began touring, giving speeches on the success of the Affordable Care Act and its potential for the future. The election resulted in Republicans winning control of the Presidency and Congress, having campaigned to repeal the law. Burwell continued to advocate for the Affordable Care Act, arguing it was "woven into the fabric of our nation". Since its inception, the law had led to coverage for 20 million more people, and Burwell argued the complexity of the law meant that repealing any part would have effects throughout the healthcare system. Burwell and the Department of HHS devised the "Coverage Matters" campaign to increase public support for the law and to boost enrollment.
caption: Rural Council meeting in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House, February 3, 2016. From left to right: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, President Barack Obama, and Burwell.
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