Browsing: Transition

Mary Wakefield has been named the new administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration. Wakefield is currently the director of the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota. President Barack Obama announced her appointment in a statement Friday. “As a nurse, a Ph.D., and a leading rural healthcare advocate, Mary Wakefield brings expertise that will be instrumental in expanding and improving services for those who are currently uninsured or underserved. Under her leadership we will be able to expand and improve the care provided at the Community Health Centers which serve millions of uninsured Americans and…

President Barack Obama sure is having a hard time finding someone to lead the Commerce Department. His first nominee, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, bowed out in early January because of an ongoing federal investigation into one of his political contributors. Obama’s second choice, Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, abruptly withdrew his nomination last week after deciding that he couldn’t work in a Democratic administration. Now all eyes are on Obama to find yet another candidate for the unheralded position. But there’s another solution, says Derek Shearer, a former deputy undersecretary at Commerce under President Clinton. In this commentary from…

Update: Judd Gregg spoke to congressional reporters a few minutes ago and denied he offered his name as commerce secretary, saying a “third party” brought his name to the White House’s attention. “I didn’t campaign for this job,” he said, adding that he did call the White House after hearing he was a candidate to check on the status of the nomination. Gregg said the reorganization of the Census Bureau was only a “slight issue” in his decision to pull his name from consideration. He said President Barack Obama is a “strong, effective and good president” and that his nomination…

11:33 AM: One has to wonder if Killefer’s withdrawal will make it harder for Tom Daschle to win confirmation as secretary of Health and Human Services. Here’s what we wrote about Killefer after her nomination last month. She was universally praised as a good pick for the new position. 11:15 AM: Killefer had a $924 tax lien placed on her house in 2005 because she failed to pay employment taxes for her household help. She paid the bill five months later. And that’s why she withdrew, according to a letter she sent to the White House. It’s a little surprising…

The new sheriff at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Shaun Donovan, now has a deputy. The White House announced yesterday it nominated Ron Sims for the post. Sims is the county executive of King County, Washington, which includes Seattle. As deputy, he will manage HUD’s day-to-day operations. HUD has a $39 billion operating budget and approximately 8,500 employees. Donovan called Sims “the perfect deputy secretary candidate” saying: His experience at the helm of a large urban government provides a critical perspective and his collaborative approach to problem-solving has prepared him to effectively lead HUD’s operations as the agency…

Nearly a month after New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew his nomination for Commerce secretary, President Barack Obama has tapped another elected official for the Cabinet post: Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire. Administration officials confirmed last night that President Obama will nominate the moderate Republican this morning. The move had been rumored for the past week, although some Obama supporters had been urging him to select Symantec CEO John Thompson, one of the most prominent black businessmen in the country. One sticking point regarding Gregg was what would happen to his Senate seat. With Gregg leaving, New Hampshire’s Democratic governor…

Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Sen. Arlen Specter said Tuesday afternoon he’ll vote for attorney general-designate Eric Holder when the committee meets Wednesday to consider his nomination. Specter initially objected to the quick scheduling of Holder’s confirmation just weeks after his appointment by President Barack Obama, saying it did not leave enough time to investigate Holder’s background, including his involvement in the pardon of Marc Rich and his decision not to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate then-Vice President Al Gore’s fund-raising activities for the 1996 presidential campaign. Specter, R-Penn., said Tuesday that Holder has “excellent qualifications” and provided answers…

President Obama has appointed Stuart Ishimaru to be acting chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the commission said today. Ishimaru replaces Naomi Earp as chairman. In the statement announcing the appointment, the EEOC said Ishimaru’s more than five-year tenure has been marked by a focus on “large, systemic cases and in reinvigorating the agency’s work on race discrimination issues. He also played an instrumental role in the EEOC’s adoption of groundbreaking guidance on gender discrimination against workers with caregiving responsibilities.” Ishimaru called the appointment “a high honor and quite humbling:” The Obama administration brings new promise and possibilities to…

Barack Obama’s Cabinet is filling up. Last night the Senate confirmed: Shaun Donovan to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Ray LaHood to be Secretary of Transportation. In other confirmation news: Susan Rice, Obama’s choice for U.N. ambassador, was approved. Nancy Sutley was confirmed as chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. And finally, Lisa Jackson was given the green light to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, after Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., lifted his objection to a vote by unanimous consent.

Update: Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., has lifted his objection to allowing a vote on Lisa Jackson’s nomination for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator by unanimous consent, Greg Keeley, Barrasso’s spokesman said. This means the vote could come as soon as this evening. Barrasso’s change of heart came after he spoke with Carol Browner, Obama’s energy and environment czar. The pair will meet next week to discuss Barrasso’s concerns about her new role and how it may affect the  independence of EPA.   Original Post: EPA Confirmation Delayed The Environmental Protection Agency may have to wait a while to see the changes Lisa Jackson, Obama’s…

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