{"id":249,"date":"2009-03-02T15:03:11","date_gmt":"2009-03-02T15:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/tonyjones\/2009\/03\/sebelius-hhs-less-abortions.html"},"modified":"2009-03-02T15:03:11","modified_gmt":"2009-03-02T15:03:11","slug":"sebelius-hhs-less-abortions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/tonyjones\/2009\/03\/sebelius-hhs-less-abortions.html","title":{"rendered":"Sebelius + HHS = Fewer Abortions"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"sebelius.jpg\"<\/span>This morning, I have signed a last-minute petition<\/a> supporting the appointment of Kansas Governor, Kathleen Sebelius<\/a>, as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Some on the Right are raising a stink about Sebelius’s pro-choiciness, but if you take the time to read the statement below, you will see that she, like Obama, is committed to dramatically reducing abortions.  Let’s be honest, people, there is little political will to “end” abortions legislatively or judicially.  Right now, it’s up to the executive branch to work toward the systemic reduction of abortion.<\/p>\n

As Christians dedicated to finding common ground solutions to reduce
\nthe number of abortions in America, we welcome President Obama’s
\nnomination of Governor Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and
\nHuman Services.<\/p>\n

Under Governor Sebelius’ leadership, abortions have decreased in Kansas
\nby 10 percent, adoption funding and incentives have increased,
\nhealthcare access for women and families has expanded, prenatal care
\nhas become more widely available, and legislation protecting the unborn
\nfrom crime has become law. Such a record demonstrates a commitment to
\nresults rather than rhetoric on life issues.<\/p>\n

She is a Democratic Governor who has been elected by wide margins in a
\nstate where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats two to one. Her
\nnomination has already won not only the support of Democrats, but also
\npraise from Republican pro-life Senators such as Sam Brownback and Pat
\nRoberts and Governors such as Sonny Perdue of Georgia. Her record and
\nher relationships with leaders in both parties are proof that
\npro-choice and pro-life leaders can work together to advance a
\npro-family agenda.<\/p>\n

The governor, who is by all accounts a person of deep faith, deserves a
\nfair hearing in Congress and in the public square. Efforts to discredit
\nher will no doubt arise, but we hope that such tactics will not succeed
\nin taking focus off of her record of reducing abortions and supporting
\nwomen and families in Kansas – and the task that lies ahead of us all:
\nworking together to improve health care and reduce the number of
\nabortions in America.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As a state legislator, Insurance Commissioner and now as Governor,
\nKathleen Sebelius has worked to find common-sense solutions to increase
\nwomen’s access to health care and to reduce the number of unintended
\npregnancies and abortions. Under Sebelius’ leadership, abortions have
\ndecreased in Kansas, adoption funding and incentives have increased,
\nand women’s medical privacy has been protected.<\/p>\n

Number of Abortions In Kansas Decreased Between 2002 And 2007 By 8.5%:
\nIn 2002, 11,844 abortions were reported in Kansas. In 2007, that number
\ndropped by more than 1,000, or 8.5%, to 10,836. [Kansas Department of
\nHealth and Environment, Center for Health and Environmental Statistics,
\nAbortions in Kansas, 2002 and 2007]<\/p>\n

Teen Pregnancy Rate Fell Between 2002 And 2006: Kansas’ annual rate of
\npregnancy for ten-to-nineteen-year-olds decreased from 28.3 to 27.1
\n(per 1,000 in female age group population) between 2002 and 2006. The
\nnumber of teen pregnancies in the state fell from 5,586 in 2002 to
\n5,192 in 2006, a 7% decrease. [Kansas Department of Health and
\nEnvironment, Center for Health and Environmental Statistics, Teenage
\nPregnancy Report, 2002 – 2006]<\/p>\n

Sebelius Signed Bill That Enacted “Alexa’s Law” Related To Crimes
\nAgainst A Fetus: In 2007, Sebelius signed HB 2062, which enacted
\nAlexa’s Law, to deal with certain crimes against unborn children.
\n“Unborn child” was defined as meaning a fetus at any state of gestation
\nfrom fertilization to birth. The bill meant that if a pregnant woman
\nwas murdered, the offender could be charged with the murder of the
\nunborn child as well. The following crimes were included under Alexa’s
\nLaw: murder, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter,
\nvehicular homicide, battery, aggravated battery, and capital murder.
\n[HB 2062, Kansas Legislative Summary 2007]<\/p>\n

Sebelius Signed Bill Requiring Abortion Providers Submit Fetal Tissue
\nSamples to Kansas Bureau of Investigations: In 2005, Sebelius signed
\nthe “Child Rape Protection Act” to require abortion providers to submit
\na fetal tissue sample to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation when the
\nmother was younger than 14 years old. [Kansas City Star, 4\/16\/05]<\/p>\n

1992: Sebelius Supported Compromise On Abortion Issue, Banned Late Term
\nAbortions:  Sebelius voted for a compromise bill containing several
\nlimitations on a woman’s right to abortion. The bill banned late-term
\nabortions, required parental notification, and required that a minor
\nwould have to be accompanied by an adult for abortion counseling. The
\nHouse voted to pass the legislation, 82-41. [HB 2778, 3\/2\/92; House
\nJournal, Page 1480-1483]<\/p>\n

Funding For Adoption Support Increased Over $2 Million Under Sebelius:
\nBetween FY2002 and FY2007, funding for adoption support, which helps
\nfamilies who adopt children, increased by $2.1 million. Adoption
\nsupport funds can be used to modify a home to accommodate a child with
\nspecial needs, pay for other unique costs the adoptive child may have,
\nor simply provide on-going financial support. [Kansas Division of
\nBudget; FY 2002-2007]<\/p>\n

Sebelius Administration Received Federal Adoption Incentive Payment:
\nKansas received an adoption incentive payment of $440,000 from the U.S.
\nDepartment of Health, as a result of increased adoptions in FY2003.
\nIncentive funds were to be used to address long-term stability of
\nadoptive homes through the development and implementation of parent
\neducation programs. [Kansas Department of Social Rehabilitative
\nServices, 2005-2006 Business Plan]<\/p>\n

Signed Law Doubling Adoption Tax Credit: Sebelius signed legislation in
\n2006 to double the adoption tax credit. In 2004, under the Sebelius
\nadministration, 306 families received adoption tax credits in Kansas
\ntotaling $328,005. [SB 432, 2006; Associated Press, 5\/22\/06; Kansas
\nDivision of Budget]<\/p>\n

Sebelius Signed Bill To Aid Adoptions: In 2008, Sebelius signed a bill
\nthat expanded the pool of people eligible to conduct adoption home
\nassessments by adding the following professions: licensed clinical
\nmarriage and family therapist; licensed marriage and family therapist;
\nlicensed clinical professional counselor; licensed psychologist;
\nlicensed masters level psychologist; licensed clinical psychotherapist;
\nand licensed child-placing agency. [HB 2570, Kansas Legislative Summary
\n2008]<\/p>\n

Pushed Legislation to Require State Funding of Health Care Programs For
\nPregnant Women And Children: In 1990, Sebelius and a group of women
\nlegislators successfully added $1.5 million funding to the state’s
\nappropriations bill to provide resources for pregnant women and
\nchildren, including health care and nutrition programs. [Wichita Eagle,
\n3\/8\/90]<\/p>\n

Sebelius-Appointed Attorney General Is Prosecuting Dr. George Tiller
\nFor Violating Late-Term Abortion Law. In January 2008, Gov. Sebelius
\nappointed Douglas County District Judge Steve Six as attorney general,
\nreplacing Paul Morrison, who left office after disclosing an
\nextramarital affair. “Six said last month [October 2008] that while he
\ndoes not approve of Kline’s handling of the investigation, that doesn’t
\nmean the charges should be dismissed. He also argued in court documents
\nthat Morrison filed the case after conducting his own investigation.”
\nTiller’s trial is scheduled to begin Wednesday, March 4, 2009.
\n[Associated Press State & Local Wire, 12\/25\/09; Associated Press
\nState & Local Wire, 11\/14\/08; Kansas City Star, 2\/26\/09]<\/p>\n

Sebelius Has Vetoed Legislation That Put Women’s Privacy In Jeopardy:
\nIn May 2007, Sebelius vetoed a bill that would have required more
\nreporting details regarding late-term abortion. In her veto message,
\nshe wrote: “The questions required by this proviso are open-ended and
\nrequest detailed information on a patient’s medical condition.” She
\nsaid the provision would open a patient’s private medical information
\nto possible public viewing. In 2008, Sebelius vetoed a measure that
\ndealt with late-term abortions. The bill authorized information
\nobtained by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Environment,
\nincluding the identification of physicians medical care facilities, to
\nbe disclosed to district and country attorneys, the Board of Healing
\nArts, and the Attorney General thereby threatening women’s medical
\nprivacy by turning over records to law enforcement. [Kansas City Star,
\n5\/22\/07; House Sub. For SB 389, Kansas Legislative Summary 2008]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This morning, I have signed a last-minute petition supporting the appointment of Kansas Governor, Kathleen Sebelius, as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Some on the Right are raising a stink about Sebelius’s pro-choiciness, but if you take the time to read the statement below, you will see that she, like Obama, is committed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nSebelius + HHS = Fewer Abortions - The New Christians<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/tonyjones\/2009\/03\/sebelius-hhs-less-abortions.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sebelius + HHS = Fewer Abortions - 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