It is the second subpoena for Sebelius in as many months. | AP Photos Sebelius gets Obamacare subpoena

The House Ways and Means Committee has subpoenaed Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, demanding that she reveal details of how the agency is promoting the health reform law, according to the committee.

The election may have iced efforts to repeal the law on the whole, but House Republicans are indicating they’re full speed ahead on intense oversight of how the Obama administration is enacting the legislation.


The subpoena demands that Sebelius turn over documents about how taxpayer dollars are being used to promote the law through public relations, advertising and message testing. The committee is asking for all documents covering the period from January 2008 to now.

It comes from committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Charles Boustany (R-La.), who is facing a runoff election next month.

Camp and Boustany sent a letter to Sebelius on Oct. 24 threatening a subpoena if documents were not handed over by Oct. 31. They sent an initial request to Sebelius in June for the material.

“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.”

HHS has signed at least two contracts — one valued at $20 million — for public relations work on the law.

It’s the second subpoena Sebelius has faced from congressional Republicans in as many months. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee subpoenaed the agency to turn over documents to determine if funds from a Medicare Advantage demonstration program are being used improperly.

HHS has turned over more documents, but there’s been no word from committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on whether the new documents satisfied his request.