Burwell confirmed as White House budget director

Hinton native Sylvia Matthews Burwell will head the U.S. Office of Management and Budget after being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate Wednesday.

The 96-0 vote followed the nomination of Burwell earlier this year by President Barack Obama.

During her confirmation hearing earlier this month, Burwell pledged to build relationships with the other committees connected with OMB in order to strengthen the nation’s economy and attack the federal deficit.

“To use both the ‘M’ and the ‘B’ of OMB to make sure that we are doing our best to deliver for the American people an economy that’s healthy in both the short and the long-term,” Burwell said.

U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller said Wednesday Burwell will have a prominent seat at the table as the country works toward a strong economic future.

“I have been privileged to know Sylvia and her family as personal friends for many years and have always proudly supported her career in public service—from Hinton, West Virginia all the way to the White House as a top staff member of the Clinton Administration. Sylvia’s abundant knowledge and budget experience make her the right person to take on our country’s fiscal challenges,” Rockefeller said.

The senator also noted Burwell’s strong bipartisan support in Wednesday’s vote.