Kathleen Sebelius is an American politician and health policy expert who served as the 21st U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2009 to 2014 under President Barack Obama, where she played a key role in implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), often called Obamacare. Born on May 15, 1948, in Cincinnati, Ohio, she is the daughter of former Ohio Governor John J. Gilligan. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Kansas in 1970. Her political career began in Kansas, where she served in the Kansas House of Representatives (1986–1994) and as Kansas Insurance Commissioner (1994–1998). In 2002, she was elected Governor of Kansas, serving two terms from 2003 to 2009, focusing on education reform, economic development, and fiscal responsibility. As a moderate Democrat, she gained bipartisan respect. In 2008, she delivered the Democratic response to President George W. Bush's State of the Union address. Her tenure as HHS Secretary included navigating the controversial rollout of HealthCare.gov in 2013, which faced technical issues and public backlash, leading to her resignation. After leaving government, she founded Sebelius Resources LLC, a health policy consulting firm, and has remained active in Democratic circles as chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors Association. She is recognized for her work in public health and women's leadership, though her ACA implementation drew criticism from both conservatives and some Democrats.