A Pro-Choice Cabinet?

Now that everyone is turning their attention to Obama's cabinet, I have a piece over at RH Reality Check today that talks about who his picks for departments that affect women might be (as well as why it's important for those positions to be pro-choice):

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.

That's just the beginning, so you should go and read the whole thing here.