Women’s Group Pushes Stabenow for HHS

ABC News’ Teddy Davis Reports:

Sensing a dearth of women in President Barack Obama’s Cabinet, a liberal women’s group is pushing Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) to be secretary of Health and Human Services now that former Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., has withdrawn his name from consideration.

"With the withdrawal of Sen. Tom Daschle from consideration, the National Organization for Women urges President Barack Obama to nominate another strong and consistent advocate for universal health care to the position of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary," writes the National Organization of Women in a statement released to reporters.

"With the nomination of Sen. Judd Gregg, the fourteen filled cabinet departments will be headed by eleven men and three women," N.O.W.’s statement continues. "Adding a highly-qualified woman, such as Sen. Stabenow, would increase the representation of half the population at the cabinet table, while adding health care and human needs expertise to HHS."

NOW president Kim Gandy tells ABC News that after she learned of Daschle’s withdrawal this afternoon, she emailed Stabenow chief of staff Amanda Renteria to gauge the senator’s interest in the position.

"I reached out to her chief of staff and I got a response from her chief of staff indicating that she would be interseted in exploring it," said Gandy. "She said that health care has always been at the top of Sen. Stabenow’s agenda and she would be interestred in learning more/exploring this role. That’s as much of a ‘yes’ as you are likely to get from a sitting senator."

Although she probed Stabenow’s interest, Gandy says that she did not inform the Michigan senator’s chief of staff of plans to send out a press release.

Contacted by ABC News, Stabenow’s chief of staff declined to comment.

In an email to its members last week, NOW took Obama to task for acquiescing to GOP pressure to drop family planning funds for low-income women from the economic stimulus bill.

Read NOW’s full Stabenow statement here:

NOW Urges Nomination of Sen. Debbie Stabenow as Secretary of Health and Human Services

February 3, 2009

With the withdrawal of Sen. Tom Daschle from consideration, the National Organization for Women urges President Barack Obama to nominate another strong and consistent advocate for universal health care to the position of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) has long focused on health care as a priority, and with her background as a social worker she is well positioned to take the helm of this agency that is so critical to women and families.

Sen. Stabenow’s first bill in the Senate was the Medical Equity and Drug Savings Act to lower prescription drug prices by encouraging competition, and she has been a stalwart champion of full health coverage. The National Association for Home Care named her a Home Health Hero, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare bestowed on Stabenow their highest award.

With the nomination of Sen. Judd Gregg, the fourteen filled cabinet departments will be headed by eleven men and three women. Adding a highly-qualified woman, such as Sen. Stabenow, would increase the representation of half the population at the cabinet table, while adding health care and human needs expertise to HHS.