Antiabortion-Rights Advocate To Oversee HHS Office Of Faith-Based And Community Partnerships

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 08 Jun 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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President Obama has named Alexia Kelley -- Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good co-founder and former executive director -- to the position of director of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships at HHS, Salon's "War Room" reports. According to Salon's the "War Room," CACG primarily has worked to find ways to reduce the demand for abortion procedures rather than advocate for laws to restrict access. However, CACG's Web site reads, "Catholics in Alliance believes in the sanctity of all human life -- from conception until natural death" (Madden, "War Room," Salon, 6/4).

Catholics for Choice President Jon O'Brien writes in The Hill's "Congress Blog" that the appointment is "a defeat for reason and logic" and "calls into question whether President Obama's administration is serious about reducing the need for abortion." According to O'Brien, Kelley "is on record with her support for restrictions on access to abortion," although CACG has sought to "avoid the question of legalization at every turn." O'Brien continues that the group also used "flawed economic data to support anti-poverty measures as a means to reduce the number of abortions," and "opposed evidence-based prevention methods such as contraception and comprehensive sexuality education" (O'Brien, "Congress Blog," The Hill, 6/4).

Officials at the White House and HHS did not return calls for comment. CACG spokesperson Jennifer Goff said, "Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is working toward reaching common ground in order to make real progress on the moral and political challenges our country faces instead of resorting to spurious attacks launched by those who are more concerned with inflaming the culture wars than effecting positive change" ("War Room," Salon, 6/4).

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