Senators Sidestep Abortion-Rights Issues At Hearing For HHS Sec. Nominee Sebelius

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Public Health;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 06 Apr 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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Lawmakers did not raise the issue of abortion rights on Thursday during HHS secretary nominee Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' (D) appearance before the Senate Finance Committee, nor did they address the governor's recent correction of tax errors, the Washington Post reports (Connolly, Washington Post, 4/3). Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking Republican on the committee, had said on Wednesday that Sebelius should expect questions on her support for abortion rights, but the senator never addressed the issue in Thursday's hearing (Young, The Hill, 4/2). The New York Times reports that Sebelius' stance on the issue "appear[s] to be generally similar" to that of President Obama, who supports abortion rights.

According to the Times, it initially appeared that Sebelius would be confirmed on Thursday, but some Republican senators objected to an immediate vote, saying that they want more time to review her answers to written questions submitted before the Finance Committee hearing (Pear, New York Times, 4/3). The vote is now expected to take place sometime after the upcoming two-week Congressional recess (Reichard, CQ Today, 4/2).

Conservative Groups Criticize Sebelius' Support for Abortion Rights

Several conservative organizations issued a statement on Thursday criticizing Sebelius' tax errors and her support of abortion rights. The statement said that Sebelius "may not pay her own taxes but has no qualms about using tax dollars to pay for others' abortions" (Pear, New York Times, 4/3). The statement was signed by Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Concerned Women for America President Wendy Wright, American Conservative Union President David Keene and Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist, among others. It also said Sebelius is "incapable of running" HHS and urged "[a]ll who have a stake in America's health care system" to express their opposition to her nomination to their senators. Some of the same groups sent a letter to each member of the Senate earlier this week opposing Sebelius' nomination (The Hill, 4/2).

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