Pro-Abortion Health Secretary Nominee Kathleen Sebelius Has Hearing Next Week
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 27, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The Senate showdown on the nomination of pro-abortion Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius to become the next health secretary begins next week. That’s when the Senate HELP Committee will hold its hearing on the potential Obama official who has a close relationship with a late-term abortion practitioner.
Sebelius is the last Cabinet nominee to undergo confirmation and she will face a Tuesday morning hearing before the panel.
She also must appear before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, and that is the panel that will actually vote on her nomination before it heads to the full Senate for consideration.
President Barack Obama picked the Kansas governor after his original choice for the health post, former Sen. Tom Daschle, withdrew because of tax problems.
Pro-life advocates will be pulling out all the stops to defeat Sebelius because of her long pro-abortion record and her close relationship with late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller.
Tiller has escaped prosecution and accountability thus far for allegedly repeatedly violating state abortion laws. However, a jury is deciding today whether he is guilty of doing 19 illegal late-term abortions.
He’s escaped accountability in part because of the lax standards of Sebelius and her political allies, to whom Tiller has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars. Governor Sebelius vetoed a bill last April that the legislature approved that would have strengthened the state’s limits on late-term abortions.
That followed by a year her veto of a bill requiring explicit medical reasons for a late abortion, which was preceded by vetoing other pro-life legislation in 2006, 2005 and 2003.
Sebelius went as far as to coordinate a secret event with Tiller at the governor’s mansion that was criticized because her staff failed to officially report the event.
Her position favoring abortion is so radical and extreme that Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City called on her to stop receiving communion until she disowns her support for the "serious moral evil" of abortion.
Leading pro-life groups have unanimously blasted the potential of Sebelius serving as Health Secretary because of her longstandinging pro-abortion record.
"Sebelius is joined at the hip with the abortion industry," Troy Newman, the president of Operation Rescue, tells LifeNews.com. "She owes them her political career and has been more than willing to pay them back with personal favors that have shielded them from legislation and criminal prosecution. Her corrupt abortion politics make her unfit to serve."
Newman says Sebelius meddled with an investigation by the Kansas Board of Healing Arts in the death of Christin Gilbert, who died from a botched abortion at Tiller’s Wichita clinic in January, 2005.
"The Board’s politically-motivated premature conclusions covered her veto of clinic regulations," Newman said. "The Board was recently asked to re-open that investigation due to political corruption and new evidence."
Sebelius attended a Planned Parenthood fundraiser on the occasion of her birthday in May, 2007 where CEO Peter Brownlie led a conga-line dance in her honor during the party.
Brownlie’s clinic was later charged with 107 criminal counts of conducting illegal late-term abortions. Those charges are now pending.
Sebelius appointed political supporter and abortion practitioner Howard Ellis to serve on the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts after he surrendered his medical license in Missouri rather than face disciplinary action. Ellis resigned under pressure, and two months later was charged by the Board with attempting to persuade a physician to falsify records.
As the health secretary, Sebelius could have an impact in crafting a health care plan that could cover abortions with taxpayer funds or require insurance companies to cover abortions in their plans.
Sebelius could also, if confirmed by the Senate, could also issue new regulations overturning the protections President Bush put in place that protect pro-life doctors and medical centers. The Obama administration announced Friday that it opened a 30-day comment period in preparation to do so.
A potential post in the Obama administration would help pro-life efforts in Kansas if only by removing Sebelius from office. It may also mean she will not run for Senate in 2010, where she was seen as a leading contender for the seat of pro-life Sen. Sam Brownback, who is expected to run for governor.
ACTION: Contact your members of the Senate and express your opposition to Sebelius’ nomination. You can find contact information for any senator at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
Daily Pro-Life News Report Twice-Weekly Pro-Life
News Report Receive a free daily email report from LifeNews.com with the latest pro-life news stories on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here. Receive a free twice-weekly email report with the latest pro-life news headlines on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here.
