Kansas Gov. Sebelius Possible Replacement For Daschle As HHS Secretary Nominee

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Public Health;  Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 10 Feb 2009 - 3:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) is a top contender to become President Obama's nominee for HHS secretary after former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) withdrew from consideration for the post last week, according to an unnamed administration official, the AP/Kansas City Star reports. Daschle removed himself from consideration in the wake of controversy over unpaid taxes. According to the administration official, Obama is considering Sebelius partly because of her long and close working relationship with the president. Sebelius showed early support for the Obama campaign and endorsed his candidacy over that of Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is now secretary of state. The AP/Star reports that Sebelius also worked during the campaign to garner support for Obama from women's groups, particularly after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin joined the Republican ticket as the vice presidential nominee. In addition, some advocacy groups have championed the consumer watchdog role Sebelius played as former Kansas insurance commissioner, the AP/Star reports. According to a Kansas Democrat close to Sebelius, the governor has not spoken about the HHS position in recent days but appears to be a leading contender for the post. Sebelius met with Obama aide Valerie Jarrett last week during a trip to Washington, D.C., although the visit was planned before Daschle's withdrawal.

John Podesta, a White House chief of staff under former President Bill Clinton, and Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) also are contenders for the HHS secretary nomination, the AP/Star reports. White House spokesperson Reid Cherlin on Saturday said that no decision had been made regarding a nominee. Bredesen is less likely than Sebelius to advance through the nomination process, a senior official said.

Daschle's departure has generated concern about whether Obama will be able to follow through with his pledge to take quick action on health care reform. Many observers believed that Obama needed to act quickly to name a new nominee after Daschle withdrew, but the administration "was so committed to that pick that it had little in the way of a backup list," according to the AP/Star (AP/Kansas City Star, 2/8).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

• Additional
• References
• Citations