Tom Daschle

Tom Daschle

Thomas Andrew "Tom" Daschle (born December 9, 1947) is a policy advisor, former U.S. Senator from South Dakota, and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

A South Dakota native, Daschle obtained his university degree there, and served in the United States Air Force. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1978 and served four terms. In 1986, he was elected to the Senate, becoming minority leader in 1994. Defeated for re-election in 2004, he took a position as a policy advisor with a lobbying firm, and also became a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. He co-authored a book advocating universal health care.

Daschle was an early supporter of Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy, and was offered the position of Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services after the 2008 election. He was President Obama's nominee to serve as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the Cabinet, but withdrew his name on February 3, 2009, amid a growing controversy over his failure to accurately report and pay income taxes. He is currently working for the global law firm DLA Piper.

Read more about Tom Daschle:  Family Background, Career in The House of Representatives, Career in The Senate

Famous quotes containing the word tom:

    And the Angel told Tom if he’d be a good boy,
    He’d have God for his father & never want joy.

    And so Tom awoke and we rose in the dark
    And got with our bags & our brushes to work.
    Tho’ the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm,
    So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm.
    William Blake (1757–1827)