NBC Nightly News (12/10, story 2, 1:45, Guthrie) reported that President-elect Barack Obama "will have a news conference where we expect him to name Tom Daschle, the former Senate Majority Leader, as his Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)."
The AP (12/11, Sidoti) notes that the President-elect "scheduled a news conference on Thursday in Chicago to name" the former South Dakota senator "as his secretary of health and human services. That choice has been known for some time."
Offering more extensive details of Daschle's nomination, Ceci Connolly writes in the Washington Post (12/11, Connolly) 44 blog, "In accepting the HHS job offer, Daschle negotiated an unusually broad portfolio for himself: in addition to running the behemoth department, he will be the administration's point person on healthcare reform efforts." He "has many friends on Capitol Hill, though former adversaries may raise questions in his confirmation proceedings about his work in the private sector and his wife Linda's lobbying activities." The former senator "is not a registered lobbyist, but is a senior strategist at the law firm Alston & Bird, which has an array of health-industry clients."
On its website, CNN (12/11) adds, "In November, Daschle said he was excited about the possibility of serving as point person in Obama's effort to change the nation's healthcare system." He "is on the healthcare advisory group of Obama's transition team, and said he plans to write the healthcare plan that Obama submits to Congress next year." Also noting concerns raised about Daschle's ties to lobbyists, CNN points out that "a source close to Daschle told CNN that Linda Daschle would be leaving the firm at the end of the year to set up her own company focusing on transportation lobbying in order to clear any potential conflicts of interest."
According to Bloomberg News (12/11, Goldman), Daschle's "book, Critical: What We Can Do About the Healthcare Crisis, calls for an independent agency similar to the Federal Reserve Board to oversee the U.S. health system." Bloomberg notes that "the book jacket includes a quote from Obama, saying Daschle 'brings fresh thinking to this problem, and his Federal Reserve for Health concept holds great promise for bridging this intellectual chasm and, at long last, giving this nation the healthcare it deserves.'"
Daschle is "expected to be unveiled as his candidate to end the U.S. healthcare crisis," AFP (12/11) comments. He "will be tasked with shepherding healthcare reform legislation through Congress in line with Obama's campaign vow to revamp the U.S. medical system to help 45 million Americans who now lack health insurance." The Washington Times (12/11, Lobianco) also reports the story.
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