Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a leading pro-abortion politician and President Obama’s highly controversial Health and Human Services (HHS) cabinet pick, is due to begin Senate hearings this week.
Sebelius will testify on March 31 before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which will examine her nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services. No vote will be taken on her nomination at that time.
Sebelius will then appear before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee for examination on Thursday, April 2. The committee is expected to vote on her confirmation at that time. If the vote is not unanimous, her nomination will go to the full Senate.
While Sebelius claims to be "personally opposed" to abortion, her record shows a steady opposition to legislation restricting late-term abortion or enforcing existing restrictions. Once dubbed a pro-abortion "champion" by Planned Parenthood, Sebelius’ consistent public support for abortion is so extreme that Kansas City’s Archbishop Naumann ordered Sebelius not to receive Holy Communion. Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. has confirmed he would uphold the sanction.
"Gov. Sebelius is unfit to serve as Secretary of HHS because she owes her career to support from the radical the abortion lobby," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "As HHS Secretary, she will have a platform whereby she can influence abortion policy, which could cost thousands of innocent lives."
"We strongly urge pro-life supporters to phone their Senators today and voice their opposition to Sebelius’ confirmation to the post of HHS Secretary," said Newman.
On Friday, Sebelius signed a bill into law mandating that women seeking abortions be offered to see an ultrasound image of their babies at least 30 minutes before a scheduled abortion. This marks the first time that the governor has signed an even marginally pro-life bill. The governor has in the past vetoed similar legislation.
"These new restrictions on abortion will do little to solve all of the abuses in the abortion industry, but they will save lives," said Operation Rescue Senior Policy Advisor Cheryl Sullenger about the new law. "We know when women are allowed to see images of their pre-born babies, most will not go through with the abortion."
Pro-life advocates charge, however, the radical change in Sebelius’ policy of vetoing all pro-life legislation was a politically expedient move to mitigate her reputation as an extremist supporter for abortion when she appears before the U.S. Senate for confirmation hearings.
Newman told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) today that signing the recent bill was "the first thing [Sebelius] has ever done that could even be remotely considered favorable" for the pro-life cause.
The American Life League has launched a "Stop Sebelius Campaign" to counter the governor’s Senate confirmation as HHS Secretary. (http://all.org/kathleen_sebelius.php )
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Archbishop Naumann: "Offensive" Sebelius Nomination "Makes our Job as Bishops More Challenging"
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09030508.html
Kansas Legislators Pass Abortion Bill, Now Hangs on Sebelius Approval
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09031802.html
