Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- When voters head to the polls to cast a vote for president, their votes have a far-reaching effect on the issue of abortion. That's because of the lesser-known appointments presidents make that have under-the-radar impact on the abortion debate -- such as the pro-abortion selection Obama made today.

President Barack Obama signed an executive order today establishing a new agency within his administration known as the White House Council on Women and Girls.

Obama said the council would be headed by longtime friend and senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, whom he had asked embattled former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to name as his replacement in the Senate.

More importantly, Obama's director of public liaison at the White House, Tina Tchen, will server as the group's executive director and run the council on a day-to-day basis.

Tchen is a Chicago lawyer who raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Obama presidential campaign. Previously, she served as the vice president of the National Organization for Women, a prominent pro-abortion organization.

Why does the appointment matter much when it comes to the abortion debate?

The new council has as its mandate the goal to make sure that all federal laws and federal agencies examine how their policies and actions affect women. With a director who thinks abortion is a good thing for women, the Obama administration will press for more federal rules and policies promoting abortions.

“We need to take a hard look at where we're falling short,” Obama said at the announcement ceremony today.

For pro-life advocates, naming the pro-abortion Tchen as the director of an agency devoted to the interests of women is yet another example of how Obama is falling short when it comes to pro-life issues.

Today's announcement comes on the heels of Obama announcing the creation of a new foreign policy position to focus on women's issues.

Melanne Verveer, an abortion advocate who served as chief of staff to former First Lady Hillary Clinton, will occupy the new post and serve as a United States ambassador.

Her role as the new Obama ambassador to women abroad? Promote abortion and overturn pro-life laws in nations across the world.

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