Sebelius subpoenaed over health reform law

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee has subpoenaed the health and human services secretary over how the agency is promoting the health reform law.

The subpoena demands that Secretary Kathleen Sebelius turn over documents about how taxpayer dollars are being used to promote the law through public relations, advertising and message testing, Politico reported.

The subpoena came from committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Charles Boustany, R-La., and requests that Sebelius hand over all documents covering the period from January 2008 to now.

Camp and Boustany sent a letter to Sebelius on Oct. 24 threatening a subpoena if documents were not handed over by Oct. 31.

"The lack of response leads me to believe that this administration is either unwilling to disclose why they are using taxpayer dollars to market their unpopular law or are unable to keep track of how those taxpayer dollars are being spent," Camp said in a statement Wednesday. "Either way, the American people deserve to know where their hard-earned money is going. ... After months of being unresponsive, I am left with no choice but to compel their cooperation."