Kathleen Sebelius: Veteran of health care wars Sebelius comes from prominent political families in Ohio, Kansas As Kansas Governor, she tried to finance expanded health coverage with cigarette taxes I think she learned a great deal from that and I think it has served her very well," says Ron Pollack of the health care advocacy group Families USA. Aside from Obama, Sebelius has been the most prominent figure associated with Obamacare and, because of that, a top target. Demanding she step down, Republicans have ripped her; Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming called her a "laughingstock" who has lost credibility. They won't go easy on her Wednesday, when she testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee about problems with HealthCare.gov, the sign-up website for President Barack Obama's sweeping health care plan. The website isn't the only problem: Other parts of the Affordable Care Act have come under fire too, including whether people could have their current insurance policies dropped or how much more they might pay for insurance. Yet as her critics have stepped up, so has Sebelius. Last week, she crisscrossed the country touting the benefits of Obamacare and teaching people how to take advantage of them. And in an exclusive interview last week with CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Sebelius said that -- for all the flak directed her way -- she is eager see this program through and to watch it succeed. " (This is) the job that I came here to do," she said. This is the most important work I've ever done in my life, delivering on an historic act, making sure that we have health security for ... millions of Americans. The health care wars are nothing new to her. But as the nation's Health Secretary, she made a decision contrary to her pro-choice record, overruling an FDA recommendation to make the "morning after pill" available over the counter to females under 17. "There was a significant rise in regulations placed on health care, which drove the cost of providing health care in Kansas up," said Todd Tiahrt, a former Republican Congressman from Kansas. So it limited our choices for health care providers," Tiahrt said. Born in Cincinnati, Sebelius is the daughter of the late John 'Jack' Gilligan, who served as Ohio's Governor from 1971 to 1975. John Gilligan died in August. Sebelius' husband, Gary, is a federal magistrate judge in Kansas. Sebelius's father-in-law, Keith Sebelius, was a conservative Republican congressman from Kansas from 1969 to 1981. One of Keith Sebelius' top aides was current Republican Sen. Pat Roberts, who considers himself a longtime friend of the Sebelius family. Some Sebelius allies believe Roberts turned on her because he's got a primary challenge from a tea party-supported candidate. CNN's Lesa Jansen and Greg Botelho contributed to this report.