Kathleen Sebelius to speak at Georgetown’s Public Policy Institute commencement UPDATED

Georgetown University yesterday announced the speakers who will be honored at the institution’s several commencement ceremonies this year.

Buried deep in the list is the speaker who will deliver the GU Public Policy Institute’s commencement address—Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. Sebelius is, of course, a vocal supporter of legalized abortion and the chief architect of the HHS contraception mandate—which the United States bishops’ have called “an unwarranted government definition of religion” and “a violation of personal civil rights.”

Here’s the bio of Sebelius accompanying the Georgetown announcement:

Kathleen Sebelius
Georgetown Public Policy Institute

Friday, May 18, Leavey Center Ballroom, 11 a.m.

Sebelius was sworn in as the 21st secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2009. Since taking office, she has led efforts to improve America’s health and enhance the delivery of human services to some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations, including young children, those with disabilities and the elderly. As part of the historic Affordable Care Act, she is implementing reforms she says have ended many of the insurance industry’s most discriminatory practices and will help 34 million uninsured Americans get health coverage. She is also working with doctors, nurses, hospital leaders, employers and patients to implement policies aimed at slowing the growth of health care costs. Sebelius served as governor of Kansas from 2003 until her cabinet appointment and was named one of America’s Top Five Governors by Time magazine.

The Cardinal Newman Society already has a petition up asking Georgetown President John DeGioia to withdraw the invitation to Sebelius.

The Georgetown Public Policy Institute also hosted the annual Whittington Lecture last week, at which Rep. Paul Ryan gave this much-discussed address defending his federal budget plan.

UPDATE (5/8/12): In an email to the Cardinal Newman Society, a Georgetown spokesman has clarified that Sebelius “is speaking at Georgetown Public Policy Institute’s annual student and faculty awards event” taking place during commencement weekend, not a commencement ceremony.


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About Catherine Harmon 577 Articles
Catherine Harmon is managing editor of Catholic World Report.