Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Kathleen Sebelius, the pro-abortion Kansas governor President Barack Obama nominated to become the next Health Secretary is upset by opposition to her nomination. However, pro-life groups pledge to not back down from exposing her lengthy record promoting unlimited abortions.
Sebelius said that it is "unfortunate" that pro-life groups are leading opposition to her nomination.
She said the opposition based on her pro-abortion record should be considered in light of the fact that she supports greater access to health care, according to the Topeka Capital Journal newspaper.
"This (HHS) agency is focused on health care for all Americans and essential services for vulnerable citizens," Sebelius said. "That's work I've done in Kansas, and it's work we need to continue to do."
The governor also claimed that abortions declined 11 percent during her tenure as governor, even though she vetoed several bills that have proven to reduce abortions.
"It's unfortunate," she said. "I've worked pretty diligently for over 20 years to reduce the conditions for women to be in a situation where they feel they have no alternative."
Pro-life groups say the downturn in abortions matches that of the national decrease in abortions and that Sebelius bears no responsibility for it.
"Abortions in Kansas went down in spite of, not in any way because of Kathleen Sebelius, and any suggestion otherwise is purposely deceptive," Kansans for Life director Mary Kay Culp responded.
Though Sebelius would like pro-life groups to lay off the opposition to her nomination, that's not going to happen.
LifeNews.com participated with Troy Newman, the head of Operation Rescue, and other pro-life leaders in a Thursday conference call during which Newman said that the record is clear that Sebelius is radically pro-abortion.
He talked about her veto of numerous pro-life bills, her close relationship with late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller, and her actions to make it more difficult to keep the Kansas abortion industry accountable to following state law.
Newman noted the irony that Tiller's trial on charges from Sebelius' own attorney general that he engaged in some illegal late-term abortions will take place before or during the confirmation hearings on her nomination.
Other pro-life groups are urging pro-life advocates to call and email members of Congress urging strong opposition to the Sebelius nomination.
Family Research Council president Tony Perkins tells LifeNews.com he's worried that, as Health Secretary, "Sebelius will have chief responsibility for guiding the creation of the Obama health care plan."
"Women deserve better, patients deserve better -- all Americans deserve better. It's clear that President Obama has chosen to put a radical abortion agenda ahead of the desire for reforms everyone can agreed upon," he said.
In his call to action to pro-life advocates, the FRC president added, "This nomination is moving quickly, so please -- act now. And forward this email to friends and family so they can weigh in too."
Sebelius will eventually appear before two Senate panels -- the Senate Finance Committee and the Health Committee -- before the full Senate casts a vote on her nomination. No date has yet been set for those confirmation hearings.
ACTION: Contact your members of the Senate and urge strong opposition to the Sebelius amendment. You can find contact information for any senator at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm