Former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (S.D.) is President-elect Barack Obama’s choice to serve as Health and Human Services Secretary, according to CNN.
CNN said it learned about the choice from three sources close to Obama’s transition team.
Daschle was an early supporter of Obama’s presidential bid. His former Senate chief of staff, Pete Rouse, became as Obama’s chief of staff when Obama joined the Senate in 2005. Rouse will also serve in Obama’s White House.
As head of the Health and Human Services Department, Daschle will have a key role in crafting Obama’s healthcare reform plan.