In a May 15 letter to Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), 31 Republican Indiana state senators asked the lawmakers to oppose the confirmation of Indiana University law professor Dawn Johnsen, President Obama's nominee to head the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department, due to her support for abortion rights, the AP/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The state senators wrote that Johnsen's support for abortion rights "is more than simply pro-choice" and that "she is pro-choice in an extremely radical way," citing Johnsen's statements and writings. The letter, which was signed by all but two of the state's Republican senators, asked Bayh and Lugar to consider what Johnsen's nomination "could mean for the future of the country." Indiana Senate President Pro Tem David Long (R) said, "It's a statement from a very strong pro-life caucus," adding, "It is not based on the fact she is pro-choice, it is based on the fact that she is radically so." According to Long, the letter originated with a request from Indiana Right to Life to urge Bayh and Lugar to oppose Johnsen's confirmation.

Johnsen in an e-mail said that as a nominee she would not make public comments to the media. White House spokesperson Amy Brundage said that Johnsen "will bring unquestioned integrity and a commitment to non-partisan interpretation of the law to the Office of Legal Counsel, and we're pleased that both of Indiana's senators have expressed support for her nomination." Lugar spokesperson Andy Fisher on Monday in an e-mail said that although the senator has said he would not oppose Johnsen's confirmation, Senate Democrats currently do not have enough support to move forward with the confirmation process. Bayh supports Johnsen's confirmation, according to Bayh spokesperson Eric Kleiman (Smith, AP/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5/18).

Senate Confirms Hamburg as FDA Commissioner

The Senate on Monday by voice vote confirmed the nomination of Margaret Hamburg to be FDA commissioner, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 5/18). According to the AP/Washington Post, Hamburg's priorities include leading the development of a swine flu vaccine and overhauling the U.S. food safety system. During her confirmation hearing, Hamburg, a bioterrorism expert, said that she wants to increase consumer confidence in the agency by increasing transparency and accountability. Previously, Hamburg served as an assistant health secretary under President Clinton (AP/Washington Post, 5/19).

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