Washington » Sen. Orrin Hatch cast his first vote against a nominee for President Barack Obama's Cabinet, saying that the pick for Health and Human Services omitted telling the Senate Finance Committee about campaign donations from an abortion doctor.
Republican Hatch previously backed other nominees despite critics from his own party who said unpaid taxes or related missteps should have disqualified them. Hatch said the president should get his choices for his administration unless they're unqualified or unethical.
Tuesday, Hatch said HHS nominee Kathleen Sebelius should have disclosed all donations by George Tiller, an abortion doctor under investigation by the medical board in her home state of Kansas. The complaint under review involves allegations he performed late-term abortions without getting the independent second opinions required by state law. A Wichita jury last month acquitted Tiller of 19 misdemeanors stemming from similar allegations.
Sebelius responded to Senate Finance Committee questions that Tiller had given her $12,450 but then revised that to add another $23,000 after an Associated Press report pointed out her political action committee had received funds as well.
Hatch, a pro-life Republican, said he was "disappointed" and voted with seven other GOP senators against her in committee.
"I usually vote for the president's nominees and wanted to vote for her but I thought she wasn't forthcoming," Hatch said in an interview. "You know, when she doesn't disclose -- deliberatively doesn't disclose that she received contributions from the leading partial-birth abortion doctor in that area, that bothered me a great deal."
Still, Hatch said that if Sebelius is confirmed --- likely since Democrats have a 58-41 majority -- his stance won't affect his ability to work on health care issues.
"That doesn't mean when she gets there, I won't work with her, I won't help her, I will," Hatch said.
The Finance Committee approved Sebelius on a 15-8 vote and her nomination now goes to the full floor.
Sebelius would replace acting HHS Secretary Charlie Johnson, a Utahn, who has been in the post since Mike Leavitt left the Cabinet post. Leavitt, a former three-term Utah governor, left office in the waning days of the Bush Administration.
