Suggested Content
- Obama gives Daschle dual roles
- Daschle withdraws from nomination for HHS Secretary
- Obama taps Sebelius for HHS secretary in push for healthcare IT
- Obama taps Daschle as HHS secretary, healthcare experts like the pick
- On Daschle, expectations
- Healthcare leaders urge IT focus for Daschle
- Healthcare part of White House mobility mandate
- $600M to boost construction, IT at community health centers
- White House budget makes HIT a priority
- Sebelius, DeParle tapped for healthcare posts
CHICAGO – At a news conference Thursday, President-elect Barack Obama formally nominated former Senator Tom Daschle to be the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. He also announced that the South Dakota Democrat will lead a White House healthcare reform team.
Obama had unofficially floated Daschle's nomination on Nov. 19.
The president-elect also announced his choice of Jean Lambrew to be deputy director of HHS. A senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and an associate professor of public affairs at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Lambrew co-authored a book with Daschle titled "Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis."
Obama said Daschle has fresh ideas and is one of foremost healthcare experts today, bringing expertise and the ability to work across the aisle.
"He has trust from folks on every angle on this issue," Obama said. "Tom is a no drama guy" who will lead with decency, graciousness and pragmatism.
Obama said the nation faces "a time when there is so much at stake," yet fixing healthcare is one of his top priorities. "It's hard to overstate the importance of this work," he said.
