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President-elect Barack Obama chose former Senate Democratic Leader
Tom Daschle as Secretary of Health and Human Services on Dec. 11, 2008. On Feb. 3, 2009, Daschle withdrew his name from consideration for the post amid a growing controversy over reports that he recently had to pay $140,000 in back taxes.
 Daschle,
an early supporter of Mr. Obama's presidential bid and an adviser
to his campaign, brought health care experience from his time in
the Senate and has published a proposal to rework the health care
system.
His book "Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care
Crisis," written with Scott Greenberger and Jeanne Lambrew,
proposes creating a federal health board similar to the Federal
Reserve.
"Just as the Federal Reserve ensures certain standards, transparency
and performance for our banking industry, the Fed Health would
ensure harmonization across public programs of health-care protocols,
benefits, and transparency," Daschle wrote in a March column
on The Huffington Post.
Health care emerged as one of the central issues in Obama's campaign
and the selection of Daschle as HHS secretary is telling, according
to Julie Rovner, NPR's health policy correspondent.
"It sent a message that [health care] ranks very high…
It really says that this is not going to be an issue that is going
to be on the backburner. That this is something that the new president
intends to put very high up on his agenda," Rovner said on
Morning Edition.
The former Senate majority leader also touted a familiarity with
how Congress operates, having served in both the House and Senate,
and he has earned praise from many congressmen, including Republicans.
Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate
Finance Committee told NPR that Daschle would be a welcome change.
"He knows how the Senate works, and boy that's a very important
first step because in the present administration we've had a lot
of cabinet people that haven't understood how the Senate works."
Daschle, first elected to the Senate in 1986, rose quickly through
the Democratic ranks.
He briefly became Senate majority leader in January 2001 and again
later in the year when Sen. Jim Jeffords' switch from a Republican
to Independent returned power to the Democrats.
He was also a member of the Senate Finance Committee that handled
health care issues and the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
But in 2004, Daschle lost his Senate seat in South Dakota to Republican
John Thune. His defeat was the first time in 52 years that a party
leader lost re-election.
After leaving office, Daschle became an adviser at the law firm
of Alston and Bird on financial services, health care, energy,
telecommunications and taxes.
The former senator's relationship with Obama began when Obama
was an Illinois state senator contemplating a run for the U.S.
Senate, Daschle explained in an interview with FRONTLINE.
"I remember walking away thinking this was a self-assured,
very articulate, very telegenic potential candidate, and I reported
back that I thought he had a great deal of future politically,"
said Daschle.
When Daschle lost his Senate seat in 2004, many members of his
staff went to work for Obama, including his chief of staff Pete
Rouse.
The two talked in 2006 when Obama was thinking of running for
president.
"I told him that I thought his lack of Washington experience
was one of his greatest assets. And I argued that windows of opportunity
for running for the presidency close quickly," Daschle told
FRONTLINE. "And that he shouldn't assume, if he passes up
this window, that there will be another. I had that experience,
and I wouldn't want him to see the same thing happen to him."
Daschle's name came up early as speculation began over possible
Cabinet posts. In June, the National Journal asked Daschle if
he was interested in a health care role as part of the next Democratic
administration.
"I want to be helpful, but health care is one of many passions
I have, and public policy. And maybe there will be a role, but
it is premature to be talking about that," Daschle said.
"And I have really no desire to go back into government unless
the circumstances present themselves in the way that would let
me consider it."
Daschle was born in 1947 in the rural town of Aberdeen, a farming
community in northeast South Dakota, to a middle-income family.
He was the first in his family to graduate from college, graduating
in 1969 from South Dakota State University where he was a member
of Reserve Officers' Training Corps. After college, he worked
at the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command in Colorado for three
years.
His career in politics started with a five-year stint in the office
of Sen. James Abourezk. He first ran for office for an open U.S.
House seat in 1978 and won by a mere 14 votes, a lead later extended
to 139 in a recount. He was re-elected to three more House terms.
In 1986, Daschle ran for Senate against Republican Sen. James
Abdnor and won another close race. After the 1994 election that
ushered in a Republican majority, Daschle barely won the post
of Senate minority leader after a leadership fight within the
chamber's Democrats.
Daschle is married to Linda Hall Daschle and the couple has three
children and four grandchildren.
-- Compiled from wire reports
and other media sources
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