The Next, Pro-Choice Cabinet?

Now that election excitement has died down, the attention of the politically obsessed has turned to speculation about who might be tapped to fill key leadership positions in President-Elect Barack Obama's Cabinet. For the sexual and reproductive health community, the past eight years has made it clear that we have to worry about much than just who fills the secretary position at the Health and Human Services.

First, it's important to remember exactly how bad the Bush years were for the sexual and reproductive health community. Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services during Bush's first term, advocated including "unborn children" in the state health insurance program. After Thompson departed, Bush appointed anti-choice Michael Leavitt

to replace him, who recently proposed regulations that would "protect" doctors and nurses from providing abortion services and prescribing hormonal contraception. Let's not forget that Bush also temporarily appointed Susan

Orr, of anti-birth control Family Research Council fame, to head up administering the nation's family planning program and before her Eric Keroack, someone with a history of opposing birth control, to be Deputy Assistant Secretary of Population Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services. Keroack resigned a few months later after Medicaid filed a lawsuit against him. Andrew von Eschenbach, Bush's pick for commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, opposed the over-the-sale approval of emergency contraception.  

Bush's shredding of women's health and rights extended beyond HHS. He signed the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban into law and appointed two judges that voted to uphold the legislation as constitutional. His attorney general, John Ashcroft subpoenaed thousands of women's medical records in its pursuit of upholding the ban. But Bush's influence over sexual and reproductive health wasn't just restricted to domestic policy. In addition to his war on birth control and other forms of contraception at home, Bush instituted a policy that prevented clinics abroad to discuss abortion with their patients or even accept pro-choice funding. This later became known as the Global Gag Rule.  

Given Bush's record, the Obama administration needs not to undo eight years of damage in addition to taking bold strides on women's health issues.

The Next Cabinet

Although we're just days from Obama's election, many are already speculating about who might fill the president-elect's positions on the highest levels. A few who have been suggested for the Health and Human Services secretary position: former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle, National Democratic Committee Chairman Howard Dean, and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. This is potentially an important cabinet position if Obama is able to pass some kind of health care reform package, as the HHS secretary would be responsible for overseeing its implementation. All speculated candidates are pro-choice; Daschle and Sebelius have both been leaders in the health care reform movement.  

Daschle is clearly the favored choice, since he has made several policy proposals during

his position as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. In a book released this year called Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis, Daschle proposed a Federal Health Board, an independent body for overseeing health care regulation, similar to how the Federal Reserve is situated to oversee economic regulation. 

Implementing policy that affects women isn't just confined to the Department of Health and Human Services. Since the secretary of state is also responsible for implementing many foreign aid packages that affect women's health, the position becomes vital to the advancement of sexual and reproductive health. Two of those Obama is said to be considering are Sen. Richard G. Lugar and Sen. Chuck Hagel. Both are Republicans that have earned a zero percent rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America. Democrats that Obama is likely considering are Sen. John Kerry and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who both ran on pro-choice platforms during their presidential campaigns. Kerry seems to be a leading candidate to fill the position.