Health and Human Services

Pledging that he “will not be a distraction,” former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination for secretary of health and human services, MSNBC reports.
Following Nancy Killefer’s withdrawal from her chief performance officer post, Daschle is now the second Obama nominee to pull out for tax issues this morning.
Daschle’s decision comes on the [...]

As a new administration comes to power, the lobbying landscape is changing in Washington. Politico has compiled a valuable field guide to the lobby shops that are already “Obama-wired” and likely to get the administration’s attention.
One firm to watch is Heather Podesta and Partners, run by the sister-in-law of Obama’s transition team co-chair, John Podesta. [...]

Moments after the Obama-Biden Transition team announced former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) would head a health care policy working group in the new administration, MSNBC reports that Daschle will serve as the next secretary of health and human services.

It’s a Washington tradition. Outgoing administrations try to ram through a slew of new federal regulations. But the Bush administration has expanded on this, seeking to push through at least 90 changes that can affect the health and safety of millions. Here are five examples.