The $63 Million Question About Alexia Kelley
You may have heard by now that the Obama administration picked the former head of a pro-life Catholic organization to run faith-based and community outreach programs at the Department of Health and Human Services named Alexia Kelley. According to Salon.com, she was co-founder of the liberal group Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, was appointed Thursday to run HHS's Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives.
Change.org blogger Natasha Chart writes at Open Left about some of the grants that Alexia Kelley's office will be overseeing:
WHAT: The purpose of the program is to build the capacity of organizations to operate optimally and to provide evidence-based interventions and public health strategies that can help reduce the burden of HIV infection among high-risk and/or racial/ethnic minority populations with the U.S. and its Territories.
AWARD AMOUNT: 28 awards with a maximum of $1,462,500 per award
2009 Reg. 2 Family Planning Services FOA
WHAT: This announcement seeks applications from public and nonprofit private entities to establish and operate voluntary family planning services projects, which shall provide family planning services to all persons desiring such services, with priority for services to persons from low-income families.
AWARD AMOUNT: Award Awarding up to $853,0002009 Reg. 4 Family Planning Services FOA
AWARD AMOUNT: Award Awarding up to $9,662,0002009 Reg. 9 Family Planning Services FOA
AWARD AMOUNT: Award Awarding up to $2,276,0002009 Family Planning Services (Region 8 - North Dakota and Utah)
Award Amounting up to $991,000 for North Dakota;
Award Amounting up to $1,782,000 for Utah2009 Family Planning Services (Region 5 - Ohio: Central Ohio and Summit, Portage & Medina counties (Northeast Area)
AWARD AMOUNT: Award Amounting up to $859,0002009 Family Planning Services (Region 3 Pennsylvania, Western and Northeast Area)
AWARD AMOUNT: Award Amounting up to $5,709,000
Chart has a few words about this:
I'm not alone in my displeasure over Obama's appointment of Alexia Kelley, an abortion opponent, to director of the Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Kumbaya.
But that's not the worst of it. Kelley is apparently opposed even to contraception. Which is crazy with a side of guano...
...Multiply 1,462,500 by 28, add 853,000, carry the ... well, holy bleep.
Someone who doesn't believe in contraception is being put in charge of $63,082,000 directly intended for HIV/AIDS prevention and family planning in 2009 for the poorest, most medically under served populations in the country.
While I think there is a serious conversation to be had about the role of faith in reproductive health decisions, it is concerning to me, a pro-choice Catholic, that President Obama is bringing in nominees to HHS who are less progressive on women's health than many of his constituents may have hoped for. Let's pray that HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will ensure that while the U.S. government continues to support certain faith-based initiatives, that it is also funding comprehensive sex education and contraception options for women and men.
Jen Nedeau
Jen Nedeau is a media relations professional and a writer based in New York City.
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