Health Secretary Pick Seeks Health Care Overhaul

[dtotire]

Health Secretary Pick Seeks Health Care Overhaul



By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 8, 2009

Filed at 3:21 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Tom Daschle told former Senate colleagues on Thursday that as health secretary he would learn from Bill Clinton's failed attempt to overhaul health care, an effort criticized as too long, secretive and hard to understand.

''These are good arguments for undertaking reform in a way that is aggressive, open and responsive to Americans' concerns,'' President-elect Barack Obama's choice to head the Health and Human Services Department said at a hearing. ''They are not good arguments for ignoring the problem.''

Daschle, the former Senate Democratic leader from South Dakota, kicked off the Senate's hearings on Obama's Cabinet designees. It was friendly territory as lawmakers he once served with offered praise but few tough questions for what will be a difficult and expensive assignment.

The Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee summoned Daschle, although the Senate Finance Committee will be the panel that votes on the nomination. Most analysts expect Daschle will have little problem winning confirmation as HHS secretary.
He described the U.S. health care system as expensive, mediocre and too often unavailable to those in need. Another former Senate majority leader, Republican Bob Dole of Kansas, helped introduce Daschle at the hearing. Dole said Daschle had a strong understanding of health care and knew how to get things done.

''If anyone understands Congress, it's Tom Daschle,'' Dole said.
Daschle told lawmakers they would be partners in whatever plans were developed to improve the system.
''President-elect Barack Obama recognizes that many of you have been working for many years on these issues, and that any effort at reform will require close collaboration with Congress,'' Daschle said.



more:
http://nytimes.com/aponline/2009/01/08/washington/AP-Daschle-Health-Care.html