WASHINGTON — Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius won Senate confirmation yesterday as the nation's health and human services secretary, thrusting her into the middle of a public health emergency with the swine flu sickening dozens of Americans.

The 65-31 confirmation vote came after Democrats urged quick action so that Sebelius could get to work leading the federal response to the flu outbreak.

"We find ourselves in the midst of a global crisis," said Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. "What we've been missing in all of this is the head of the Health and Human Services Department."

Sixty votes in the 100-seat Senate were necessary for approval. Hawai'i Sens. Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel Akaka, both Democrats, voted to confirm Sebelius. Shortly after the vote, Sebelius resigned as governor in Kansas and headed to Washington to be sworn in. She drove directly from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to the White House, where she took her oath in the Oval Office.

"We wanted to swear her in right away because we've got a significant public health challenge that requires her immediate attention," President Obama said.

Sebelius immediately went to the White House's Situation Room for a briefing with Obama's homeland security adviser, John Brennan, and other officials dealing with the flu epidemic.

Replacing Sebelius as Kansas' chief executive was the lieutenant governor, Mark Parkinson, 51, a former Republican lawmaker Sebelius had persuaded to be her running mate in 2006.

Republican opponents cited Sebelius' support for abortion rights and her initial underreporting of campaign contributions from a doctor who performs late-term abortions. They raised concerns about whether Obama administration plans to overhaul the nation's health system would cut out Republicans and lead to rationing of care.

"She is the wrong appointee for this particular assignment," said Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah. "She has backed a partisan process for healthcare reform. She has refused to support patient safeguards."

Sebelius, 60, a two-term Democrat, was the first of 20 HHS officials requiring Senate approval to win it. The Senate hasn't acted on Obama's nominees for deputy HHS secretary or commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and Obama hasn't even nominated people for other key jobs, including surgeon general and assistant secretary for preparedness and response.