In a news conference on March 2, President Obama nominated Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to the post of secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). He also nominated Nancy Ann DeParle to the post of director of the White House Office for Health Reform.
In a news conference on March 2, President Obama nominated Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to the post of secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). He also nominated Nancy Ann DeParle to the post of director of the White House Office for Health Reform.
Sebelius was Obama’s second choice after Tom Daschle, who withdrew from the nomination after it was revealed that he owed more than $120,000 in federal taxes. Daschle had been pegged to run both HHS and the White House Office for Health Reform.
DeParle was previously Tennessee’s commissioner of the Department of Human Services, and she handled health budget issues, Medicare, and Medicaid in the Clinton administration.
In the news conference, Obama stated, “Healthcare reform that reduces costs while expanding coverage is no longer just a dream we hope to achieve; it’s a necessity we have to achieve.”