Daschle accepts Obamas invite to become HHS Secretary

Tom Daschle is expected to replace Leavitt as HHS Secretary. Image Source: Wikimedia

Former Senator Tom Daschle, D-S.D., has accepted President-elect Barack Obama’s request to become the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Daschle was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978, serving eight years. In 1986, Daschle was elected to the U.S. Senate. Two years later, he became the first Co-Chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. He lost his Senate seat in November 2004.

Daschle is currently a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, which focuses on “healthcare policy and global economic, security and health issues.” He is also a member of the Global Alliances’ steering committee, an international coalition dedicated to the development and exchange of progressive policy ideas. The former Senator also served for four years on the governing board of the Mayo Clinic.

"You wouldn't appoint Tom Daschle to be secretary of HHS if you weren't serious about making healthcare reform a priority," Drew E. Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, told the Los Angeles Times.

Michael O. Leavitt has been acting HHS secretary since January 2005.