Sebelius1007On Wednesday, in a strongly worded speech to pro-abortion supporters at a Chicago fundraiser, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Republicans are not only working to repeal President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul, they also want to eliminate health services provided by abortion business Planned Parenthood.

Those in attendance at the NARAL Pro-Choice America luncheon gave some of their loudest applause at her mention of the Obama administration’s support for requiring insurance plans to cover birth control without copays. But Sebelius continued, saying, “We are in a war.”

Sebelius and pro-abortion groups are feeling the pressure after states enacted 62 laws in regard to the abortion industry this year. Among them, was the limiting of funding to Planned Parenthood, or requiring longer waiting times for women who want an abortion.

Outside the event, a dozen pro-life demonstrators silently held large signs depicting aborted children, and Sebelius mentioned the protesters in her speech: “I know that some people were a bit appalled at walking through the demonstrators as you came to this lunch. It is a discomfort when you’re coming to lunch, but think about the women who are trying to tap into the health services they desperately need who have to go through that kind of gantlet in order to access all-too-infrequent services.”

Although some might argue the services aren’t so infrequent. The Guttmacher Institute, for example, reported in 2008 that 1.2 million abortions were performed.

Sebelius said Obama’s national health law increases access to birth control, which she calls the single biggest step to reducing the number of abortions. But in August a study from the Guttmacher Institute was a blow to abortion supporters who try to target low-income women with contraceptives. The results indicated the rate of unintended pregnancy among poor women had increased dramatically. In 2006, poor women had an unintended pregnancy rate five times that of higher-income women, and an unintended birth rate six times as high.

NARAL used Sebelius’ appearance as confirmation that she “is guiding the implementation of the historic Affordable Care Act,” which contains abortions funding.

Bill Saunders of Americans United for Life told LifeNews.com, “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act permits insurance plans that cover abortions to participate in new state exchanges, and to even receive government subsidies through the tax-credits that participants receive.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.