Kathleen Sebelius facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kathleen Sebelius
Official portrait, 2009
21st United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
In office April 28, 2009 – June 9, 2014
President	Barack Obama
Deputy	Bill Corr
Preceded by	Mike Leavitt
Succeeded by	Sylvia Mathews Burwell
44th Governor of Kansas
In office January 13, 2003 – April 28, 2009
Lieutenant	John E. Moore Mark Parkinson
Preceded by	Bill Graves
Succeeded by	Mark Parkinson
23rd Kansas Insurance Commissioner
In office January 9, 1995 – January 13, 2003
Governor	Bill Graves
Preceded by	Ronald L. Todd
Succeeded by	Sandy Praeger
Member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 56th district
In office 1987–1995
Preceded by	Judith C. Runnels
Succeeded by	Nancy Kirk
Personal details
Born	Kathleen Gilligan (1948-05-15) May 15, 1948 (age 77) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	K. Gary Sebelius ​ (m. 1974)​
Children	2
Parent	John J. Gilligan (father)
Relatives	Keith Sebelius (father-in-law)
Education	Trinity Washington University (BA) University of Kansas (MPA)

Kathleen Sebelius (born May 15, 1948) is an American politician who served as the 21st United States Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2009 to 2014. In this role, she helped put the Affordable Care Act into action. This law is a major plan to help more Americans get health insurance.

Before working for the U.S. government, Sebelius was the 44th governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009. She was the second woman to be governor of Kansas. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Today, she is the CEO of a company called Sebelius Resources LLC.

Early Life and Education

Kathleen Sebelius was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her father, John J. Gilligan, was also a politician. He served in the U.S. Congress and was later elected governor of Ohio. Growing up, Kathleen helped with her father's campaigns.

She went to Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C., where she studied political science. Later, she earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas. A Master of Public Administration is a degree for people who want to work in government or for non-profit groups. She moved to Kansas in 1974.

Political Career in Kansas

Before becoming governor, Sebelius held several important jobs in Kansas. From 1977 to 1986, she worked for the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, representing their interests to the government.

Kansas House of Representatives

In 1986, Sebelius was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives. She represented the people of Topeka, Kansas. She was re-elected three times, serving until 1995.

Kansas Insurance Commissioner

In 1994, Sebelius ran for Kansas Insurance Commissioner and won. This was a surprise because a Democrat had not held that job in over 100 years. As commissioner, she was in charge of the state's insurance industry.

She made a big decision to block a merger between two large health insurance companies. She believed the merger would not be good for the people of Kansas. For her work, Governing Magazine named her one of its Public Officials of the Year in 2001.

Governor of Kansas (2003–2009)

Kathleen Sebelius (second from left) with other governors and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (center).

In 2002, Sebelius was elected governor of Kansas. She and her father became the first father-daughter pair to both serve as governors in the United States.

First Term as Governor

As governor, Sebelius focused on the state's budget and education. She worked to get rid of a $1.1 billion debt without raising most taxes. She also increased funding for public schools.

In 2005, Time magazine named her one of the five best governors in America. The magazine praised her for working with both Democrats and Republicans in the state legislature.

Second Term as Governor

Sebelius meets with FEMA workers in Kansas after a disaster.

Sebelius won re-election in 2006 by a large margin. During her second term, she continued to be a prominent national figure.

In 2008, she gave the Democratic Party's official response to President George W. Bush's State of the Union Address. This is a special speech given by a member of the opposing party. Soon after, she supported Barack Obama in his campaign for president.

Sebelius speaking at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Because of her success as a governor in a mostly Republican state, many people thought she might be chosen as the vice presidential candidate for the Democratic Party in 2008. However, Barack Obama chose Joe Biden as his running mate.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services

Sebelius stands with President Barack Obama as he announces her nomination.

After Barack Obama was elected president, he chose Sebelius to be his Secretary of Health and Human Services. This person leads a major government department that deals with health, medicine, and social services for all Americans.

The United States Senate confirmed her for the job on April 28, 2009. She was sworn in during an outbreak of swine flu, so she had to get to work right away to help manage the public health crisis.

The Affordable Care Act

Sebelius with Todd Park, the White House's chief technology officer, working on health technology.

One of Sebelius's biggest jobs was to help launch the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA is a law designed to make health insurance available to more people.

When the main website for the ACA, HealthCare.gov, had many technical problems at its launch, Sebelius took responsibility. She apologized to the public and promised to fix the issues. She said, "You deserve better. I apologize. I'm accountable to you for fixing these problems."

Despite the difficult launch, the ACA went on to help millions of Americans get health insurance.

Resignation

Sebelius resigned as Secretary of Health and Human Services on April 11, 2014. President Obama thanked her for her service, especially for her work on the Affordable Care Act. She was succeeded by Sylvia Mathews Burwell.

Key Political Stances

As a politician, Kathleen Sebelius has taken clear positions on many important issues.

Health and Women's Rights

Sebelius is a strong supporter of a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions. While she was governor of Kansas, she vetoed (or rejected) several bills that would have placed more limits on these rights. This position sometimes caused disagreement with leaders in the Catholic Church, of which she is a member.

Capital Punishment

Sebelius is an opponent of capital punishment, also known as the death penalty. During her time as governor, there were legal challenges to the death penalty law in Kansas.

Environment

Sebelius visits an elementary school to talk about early childhood education.

Sebelius has been a strong supporter of protecting the environment. She pushed for more recycling and supported the development of renewable energy like wind energy. As governor, she vetoed bills that would have allowed new coal-fired power plants to be built, citing concerns about climate change.

Firearms

Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder at a press conference about healthcare.

Sebelius has said she supports the right to own firearms. However, she has also expressed concerns about laws that would allow people to carry concealed (or hidden) guns in public places. She vetoed a concealed-carry bill in Kansas, but the legislature later overrode her veto, making it law.

Life After Politics

After leaving her government position, Sebelius founded Sebelius Resources LLC. Her company gives advice to businesses, universities, and other organizations.

She also serves on the boards of several companies and foundations, including the Kaiser Family Foundation, which focuses on health issues. She often gives speeches at events around the world.

Personal Life

In 1974, Kathleen married K. Gary Sebelius. His father, Keith Sebelius, was a Republican Congressman from Kansas. They have two sons, Ned and John. Her husband was a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Kansas until he retired in 2019.

Electoral history

See also

In Spanish: Kathleen Sebelius para niños

• List of female United States Cabinet members
• List of female governors in the United States