Tom Daschle

Tom Daschle
Official portrait, 2003
Senate Majority Leader
In office
June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003
DeputyHarry Reid
Preceded byTrent Lott
Succeeded byBill Frist
In office
January 3, 2001 – January 20, 2001
DeputyHarry Reid
Preceded byTrent Lott
Succeeded byTrent Lott
Senate Minority Leader
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2005
DeputyHarry Reid
Preceded byTrent Lott
Succeeded byHarry Reid
In office
January 20, 2001 – June 6, 2001
DeputyHarry Reid
Preceded byTrent Lott
Succeeded byTrent Lott
In office
January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2001
DeputyWendell Ford
Harry Reid
Preceded byBob Dole
Succeeded byTrent Lott
Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus
In office
January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2005
Preceded byGeorge J. Mitchell
Succeeded byHarry Reid
United States Senator
from South Dakota
In office
January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2005
Preceded byJames Abdnor
Succeeded byJohn Thune
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from South Dakota
In office
January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1987
Preceded byLarry Pressler
Succeeded byTim Johnson
Constituency1st district (1979–1983)
At-large district (1983–1987)
Personal details
Born
Thomas Andrew Daschle

(1947-12-09) December 9, 1947 (age 76)
Aberdeen, South Dakota, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
(m. 1969; div. 1983)
Linda Hall
(m. 1984)
Children3, including Nathan
EducationSouth Dakota State University (BA)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Air Force
Years of service1969–1972
UnitStrategic Air Command
Battles/warsVietnam War

Thomas Andrew Daschle (/ˈdæʃəl/ DASH-əl; born December 9, 1947) is an American politician and lobbyist who represented South Dakota in the United States Senate from 1987 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he led the Senate Democratic Caucus during the final ten years of his tenure, during which time he served as Senate Minority Leader and Majority Leader.

After leaving 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 U.S. Senate, becoming Minority Leader in 1995 and Majority Leader in 2001, becoming the highest-ranking elected official in South Dakota history.

In 2004, he was defeated for reelection in a close race.[1] Later, he took a position as a policy advisor with a lobbying firm, became a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and co-authored a book advocating universal health care.

Daschle was an early supporter of Barack Obama's presidential candidacy, and was nominated by President-elect Obama for the position of Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services after the 2008 election.[2] However, Daschle withdrew his name on February 3, 2009, amid a growing controversy over his failure to properly report and pay income taxes.[3] He is currently working for The Daschle Group, a Public Policy Advisory of Baker Donelson,[4] a large law firm and lobbying group.

  1. ^ Lauck, Jon K. (2016). Daschle Vs. Thune: Anatomy of a High-Plains Senate Race. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0806138503.
  2. ^ Pear, Robert (December 11, 2008). "Daschle Will Lead Health Care Overhaul" (Article). New York Times. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
  3. ^ "Daschle withdraws as nominee for HHS secretary Archived March 31, 2012, at the Wayback Machine", Associated Press, February 3, 2009; accessed February 3, 2009.
  4. ^ "Former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle Joins With Baker Donelson to Form The Daschle Group, A Public Policy Advisory of Baker Donelson". Baker Donelson. October 28, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2018.