The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson as the new head of the Health and Human Services Department. A staunchly pro-life Catholic, Thompson will have broad authority over welfare, abortion and government health policy. Right to Life groups predicted that Thompson will uphold Bush's anti-abortion views, while Planned Parenthood hopes he will improve access to contraception and sex education, as he did in Wisconsin. During his confirmation hearings, Thompson announced his intention to review the FDA's recent approval for the abortion pill RU-486.

With tongue firmly in cheek, we can call Tommy Thompson, Bush's nominee to head the Health and Human Services Department, the "bright spot" in the proposed Cabinet. Although perhaps "less-dark" spot would be more accurate, since Thompson is unquestionably anti-choice. According to Pro-Choice Views Guide Margaret Sykes, as Governor of Wisconsin, Thompson signed every law restricting abortion that came before him - including legislation that denied abortion coverage for women with private health insurance. This is especially troubling since the new Secretary of HHS will undoubtedly have a hand in crafting any health care reform policies proposed by the Bush Administration.

So, evaluating Thompson's potential impact on women is really an exercise in relativity. Next to John Ashcroft, he is, of course, the very model of moderation. But in truth, he is only the "less-dark spot" because he also funded birth control for low-income women in the state, and refused to toe the social-conservative line of "abstinence-only" education in his teen pregnancy prevention program. Yes, much to the horror of social conservatives in Wisconsin, sexually-active teens learned how to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases while being admonished to practice abstinence. In addition, Thompson, supported family-planning programs, and created a broad state initiative to improve women's health.

Thompson's "Wisconsin Works" welfare reform program, implemented in the early 1990's, has been touted as one of the most successful and innovative welfare reform programs in the nation. It was often pointed to as a model during the Congressional hearings and public debate on the federal welfare reform legislation of 1996. However, Thompson's program included a major difference - one that made all the difference according to some welfare activists: He spent more money, not less, on services for welfare recipients. Vastly expanded subsidies for child care, health insurance, transportation and job training were implemented, all aimed at helping welfare recipients find and keep jobs. The federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program has yet to require same from the states that receive the block grants that replaced the old welfare system.

With a strong commitment from Thompson, it is possible that requirements to better fund job training, child care and other necessary assistance to those leaving the welfare rolls, may find their way into the TANF program. On the other hand, Wisconsin's expenditures came at a time of economic boom; current concerns about the slowing economy may prevent Thompson from taking similar steps at HHS.

In any event, the true success of the Wisconsin Works program has never been accurately measured. For the most part, no one knows what happened to those who left the welfare rolls during the early years of the program. The reason no one knows is that Thompson used his line-item veto power to kill a law that would have required the state to keep track of ex-welfare recipients.

In short (and to shamelessly mine an old cliche) no one really knows if the "bright spot" is the light end of the tunnel or the headlight of an oncoming train. We'll just have to wait and see.

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