Even as Kathleen Sebelius received the approval of the Senate Finance Committee to head the Health and Human Services department, anti-abortion groups are ratcheting up their opposition to her nomination.

The finance committee approved the Kansas governor’s nomination Tuesday by a vote of 15-8; eight out of the panel’s ten Republicans voted against her. But the top GOP member of the panel, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, said he was worried about "a lack of candor" by Sebelius over political contributions from Kansas abortion doctor George Tiller, reports the LA Times. Tiller is under investigation for performing late-term abortions. The two Republicans who gave Sebelius the thumbs-up were Sens. Pat Roberts of Kansas and Olympia Snowe of Maine. The GOP is also worried about her support for a new government insurance program.

“I appreciate Gov. Sebelius’ efforts to clarify her relationship with Dr. George Tiller and my concern about the use of comparative effectiveness research to deny or delay health care to Americans under proposed health-care reform," added Sen. Jon Kyl, R-AZ. "Unfortunately, Gov. Sebelius’ answers made it clear that the administration is unwilling to support pro-patient safeguards."

Meanwhile, the Family Research Council is calling on Americans to contact their lawmakers and ask for a better candidate, even if Senate Republicans aren’t coming out and saying that’s the issue giving them pause. FRC President Tony Perkins wrote in an e-mail to supporters:

The President’s nominee to run the U.S. health care system, owed back taxes and failed to fully disclose her deep financial ties to the abortion industry. What else has she not told us? What else remains in Governor Sebelius’s closet? What other alliances are there? What other political contributions have prejudiced her decisions as governor?

Even Sarah Palin backers urged the Senate not to approve Sebelius: A nonprofit called Team Sarah has asked supporters to come out against Sebelius.