Editing Tom Daschle (section)

==Post-Senate career==

===Career and public service===
Following his reelection defeat, Daschle took a position with the lobbying arm of the [[K Street (Washington, D.C.)|K&nbsp;Street]] law firm [[Alston & Bird]]. Because he was prohibited [[Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995|by law]] from lobbying for one year after leaving the Senate,<ref>''See'' {{usc|18|207}}; this one-year limit was increased in 2007 to two years by [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ081.110 Public Law 110-81], but the higher limit did not apply to Daschle.</ref> he instead worked as a "special policy adviser" for the firm.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4555416 |title=Talk of the Nation: Tom Daschle on His New Role as Lobbyist |publisher=NPR |date=March 22, 2005 |access-date=October 26, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Alston">Alston</ref>

Alston & Bird's healthcare clients include [[CVS Caremark]], the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, [[Abbott Laboratories]], and [[HealthSouth]].<ref name=Freking>{{cite news |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jnRK6ZYrsR2I9f2c1cSqskbW0AKAD94I7HA00 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121115408/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jnRK6ZYrsR2I9f2c1cSqskbW0AKAD94I7HA00 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 21, 2008 |title=Dem officials: Daschle accepts HHS Cabinet post|access-date=November 19, 2008 |first=Kevin |last=Freking |date=November 19, 2008 |agency=Associated Press }}</ref> The firm was paid $5.8 million between January and September 2008 to represent companies and associations before Congress and the executive branch, with 60% of that money coming from the healthcare industry.<ref name=Bloomberg>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aPyK3VlmLybE&refer=home |title=Daschle Said to Accept Offer as Health Secretary| access-date=November 19, 2008 |first1=Edwin |last1=Chen|first2=Julianna|last2= Goldman|date=November 19, 2008 |work=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] }}</ref> Daschle was recruited by the former [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Senate Majority Leader]] [[Bob Dole]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32604-2005Mar13.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=Daschle Moving to K Street | first=Christopher | last=Lee | date=March 14, 2005 | access-date=May 25, 2010}}</ref> Daschle's salary from Alston & Bird for the year 2008 was reportedly $2 million.<ref name=washingtonposttaxes>Ceci Connolly, "[https://archive.today/20130209031224/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/01/30/daschle_pays_100k_in_back_taxe.html Daschle Pays $100k in Back Taxes Over Car Travel]", ''Washington Post'', January 30, 2009. (Accessed January 30, 2009.)</ref>

Daschle was also a senior fellow at the [[Center for American Progress]]. In addition, he served as National Co-Chair of [[ONE Campaign|ONE]] Vote ‘08, along with former senator [[Bill Frist]].  He and former senators [[George J. Mitchell|George Mitchell]], Bob Dole, and [[Howard Baker]] formed the [[Bipartisan Policy Center]] (BPC), dedicated to finding bipartisan solutions for policy disputes.<ref name = senatebio/> Daschle is also a co-chair of BPC's Health Project.

In 2003, Daschle received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]] presented by Awards Council member Senator Bill Frist.<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url= https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#public-service}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=2003 Summit Highlights Photo | url= https://achievement.org/summit/2003/|quote= United States Senators John McCain, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Trent Lott, and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle were presented with the Academy’s Gold Medal by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in the historic Caucus Room. }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Our History Photo | url= https://achievement.org/our-history/|quote= Actor George Clooney and Senator Tom Daschle chat after the summit symposium and awards ceremony at the U.S. Capitol during the 2003 International Achievement Summit held in Washington, D.C.}}</ref>

In May 2005, [[South Dakota State University]], Daschle's alma mater, conferred upon him an honorary doctorate for public service.<ref name="HonorDegree">{{cite web|title=HONORARY DEGREES GIVEN BY SDSU SINCE 1923|url=http://www.sdstate.edu/academic/faculty/facultyawards/honorarydegree/upload/List-of-HONORARY-DEGREES.pdf|website=South Dakota State University|date=2005}}</ref> In May 2011, Daschle was further honored with an honorary [[Doctorate of Humane Letters]] by [[Northern State University]] in his hometown of Aberdeen.

In late September 2005, Daschle caught the attention of the media by reactivating his [[political action committee]], changing its name from DASHPAC to New Leadership for America PAC and procuring a speaking slot at the [[Iowa]] Democratic Party's annual [[Jefferson-Jackson Day]] dinner. He continued to keep a relatively high-profile among Democratic interest groups. These moves were interpreted by the media as an exploration of a potential [[U.S. presidential election, 2008|2008 Presidential candidacy]]. On December 2, 2006, he announced he would not run for president in 2008.<ref>{{cite web | last =Belanger | first =Matt | title =Daschle Will Not Seek Presidency | publisher =Keloland TV | date =December 2, 2006 | url =http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,52869 | access-date =November 6, 2007 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071021152249/http://keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,52869 | archive-date =October 21, 2007 | df =mdy-all }}</ref>

In an appearance on ''[[Meet the Press]]'' on February 12, 2006, Daschle endorsed a controversial warrantless [[NSA warrantless surveillance controversy|surveillance program]] conducted by the [[National Security Agency]] (NSA), explaining that he had been briefed on the program while he was the Democratic leader in the Senate.<ref>{{cite news | last =Pincus | first =Walter | title =Spying Necessary, Democrats Say | newspaper =The Washington Post | date =February 13, 2006 | url =https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/12/AR2006021201174.html | access-date =November 6, 2007 }}</ref>

In addition, Senator Daschle is a member of the board of trustees for the [[Richard C. Blum]] Center for Developing Economies at the [[University of California, Berkeley]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blumcenter.berkeley.edu/blum-center-developing-economies/blum-center-trustees |title=Trustees |publisher=Blum Center for Developing Economies |access-date=October 26, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110154336/http://blumcenter.berkeley.edu/blum-center-developing-economies/blum-center-trustees |archive-date=November 10, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The center is focused on finding solutions to address the crisis of extreme poverty and disease in the developing world.<ref>blumcenter.berkeley.edu</ref>

Daschle is a Member of the [[Global Leadership Foundation]], an organization which works to support democratic leadership, prevent and resolve conflict through mediation and promote good governance in the form of democratic institutions, open markets, human rights and the rule of law. It does so by making available, discreetly and in confidence, the experience of former leaders to today's national leaders. It is a not-for-profit organization composed of former heads of government, senior governmental and international organization officials who work closely with heads of Government on governance-related issues of concern to them.

Daschle also served as vice chair of the board of directors of [[National Democratic Institute for International Affairs]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ndi.org/board-directors |website=NDI.org|access-date=16 October 2014 |title=NDI-Board of Directors|publisher=National Democratic Institute}}</ref>

Daschle is a member of the ReFormers Caucus of [[Issue One]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.issueone.org/reformers/|title=Issue One – ReFormers Caucus|website=www.issueone.org|access-date=March 25, 2018}}</ref>

Daschle is the co-chair of the national advisory board at the National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD). The institute was created at the [[University of Arizona]] after the [[2011 Tucson shooting|2011 shooting]] of former Congresswoman [[Gabby Giffords]] that killed six people and wounded 13 others.

In 2019, Daschle was named to the advisory board of Northern Swan Holdings Inc., a [[Cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] investment firm.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fugleberg |first1=Jeremy |title=Former Sen. Tom Daschle joins cannabis board, wants to 'loosen the restrictions' |url=https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/business-journal/2019/05/21/former-senator-tom-daschle-joins-board-medical-cannabis-company/3751337002/ |access-date=May 22, 2019 |work=Argus Leader |date=May 21, 2019}}</ref> Daschle stated: "I believe it is imperative to loosen the restrictions on cannabis so we can research its properties and fully understand how patients can benefit from its medicinal use."<ref>{{cite press release |date=May 20, 2019 |title=Northern Swan Holdings Appoints Former Majority Leader Tom Daschle to Advisory Board |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/05/20/1827728/0/en/Northern-Swan-Holdings-Appoints-Former-Majority-Leader-Tom-Daschle-to-Advisory-Board.html |location=New York |agency=GlobeNewswire |access-date=May 22, 2019}}</ref> In 2020, Daschle endorsed [[2020 South Dakota Amendment A|Constitutional Amendment A]], a ballot initiative to [[Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States|legalize cannabis for recreational use]] in South Dakota.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sneve |first1=Joe |title=Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle backs legal marijuana in South Dakota |url=https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2020/10/08/former-u-s-senate-majority-leader-tom-daschle-backs-legal-marijuana-south-dakota/5924182002/ |access-date=October 14, 2020 |work=Argus Leader |date=October 8, 2020}}</ref>

In 2021, Daschle co-wrote an op-ed for [[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] criticizing proposed cuts to pandemic preparedness programs, describing them as "unthinkable" in the midst of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Todd|first=Deborah|date=2021-07-20|title=After 2020, pandemic preparedness budget cuts should be unthinkable|url=https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/563836-after-2020-pandemic-preparedness-budget-cuts-should-be-unthinkable|access-date=2021-10-23|website=TheHill|language=en}}</ref>

===Obama campaign===
[[File:Tom Daschle 2008 DNC (cropped1).jpg|thumb|right|Daschle speaks during the third night of the [[2008 Democratic National Convention]] in [[Denver]], Colorado.]]
On February 21, 2007, the [[Associated Press]] reported that Daschle, after ruling out a presidential bid of his own in December 2006, had thrown his support behind Senator [[Barack Obama]] of [[Illinois]] for the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]], saying that Obama "personifies the future of Democratic leadership in our country."<ref>{{cite web | title =Ex-Senate leader Daschle endorses Obama | publisher =NBC News | date =February 21, 2007 | url =https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna17263273 | access-date =November 6, 2007 }}</ref>

In January 2005, having suggested that Obama take on some of his staffers, Daschle exited the Senate just as Obama entered.<ref name="multiple" /> These included Daschle's outgoing chief-of-staff [[Pete Rouse]] who helped to create a two-year plan in the Senate that would fast-track Obama for the presidential nomination. Daschle himself told Obama in 2006 that "windows of opportunity for running for the presidency close quickly. And that he should not assume, if he passes up this window, that there will be another."<ref name="multiple">[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/choice2008/interviews/daschle.html FRONTLINE Interview: The Choice 2008] Retrieved February 5, 2009</ref>

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Daschle served as a key advisor to Obama and one of the national co-chairs for Obama's campaign.<ref>Margaret Talev, "[https://archive.today/20130129021234/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/100/story/56176.html Ex-Senate leader Daschle to serve as HHS head]", ''McClatchy Newspapers'', November 19, 2008.</ref> On June 3, 2008, Obama lost to Hillary Clinton in the [[South Dakota Democratic primary, 2008|Democratic primary]] in Daschle's home state of South Dakota, although that night Obama clinched his [[Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008|party's nomination]] anyway.

Two days later, sources indicated Daschle "is interested in [[universal health care]] and might relish serving as [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|HHS secretary]]."<ref name=nationaljournalhhs>{{cite web | last = McPike | first = Erin | title = Daschle Warm To Obama Health Role | work = NationalJournal.com | date = June 5, 2008 | url = http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/cda_20080605_5814.php | access-date = June 7, 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080608061311/http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/cda_20080605_5814.php | archive-date = June 8, 2008 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> In the general election campaign, Daschle continued to consult Obama, campaign for him across [[swing state]]s, and advise his campaign organization until Obama was ultimately elected the [[Presidency of Barack Obama|44th President of the United States]] on November 4, 2008.

===Obama administration nomination===
[[File:20081211 TD ROLLOUT-1136.jpg|thumb|Daschle, standing with then-[[President-elect of the United States|President-elect]] [[Barack Obama]], speaks to reporters after the announcement of his selection to be Obama's nominee for the position of [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|Secretary of Health and Human Services]]. (December 11, 2008)]]On November 19, 2008, the press reported that Daschle had accepted Obama's offer to be nominated for [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|Health and Human Services Secretary]]. His selection was announced at a news conference with Obama on December 11, 2008.<ref name = PearNYT/>

Some organizations objected to Daschle's selection, arguing that his work at Alston & Bird was tantamount to lobbying and therefore his selection violated Obama's promise to keep special interests out of the White House. According to Ellen Miller, executive director of the [[Sunlight Foundation]], Daschle technically complies with the transition rules against lobbyists but "many power brokers never register as lobbyists, but they are every bit as powerful."<ref name=usatodaynomination>Fredreka Schouten and David Jackson, "[https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-11-19-daschle-health-team_N.htm Obama selects Tom Daschle as health chief]", ''[[USA Today]]'', November 20, 2008.</ref> [[Stephanie Cutter]], a spokeswoman for the [[Presidential transition of Barack Obama|Obama transition]], responded that Daschle's work "does not represent a bar to his service in the transition" since "he was not a lobbyist, and he will recuse himself from any work that presents a conflict of interest."<ref name=usatodaynomination /> Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, praised Daschle on his nomination to Secretary of Health and Human Services for his "deep commitment to securing high-quality, affordable health care for everyone in our nation."<ref>{{cite news|title=Daschle Accepts Health Post in Obama's Cabinet|url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/archive/Obama-to-Tap-Tom-Daschle-As-.html|access-date=October 8, 2014|publisher=NBC Washington|date=November 19, 2008}}</ref>

When Daschle was officially nominated for his [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]] position on January 20, 2009,<ref name=thomasnom>[http://thomas.loc.gov/home/nomis.html Presidential Nominations database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201150647/http://thomas.loc.gov/home/nomis.html |date=February 1, 2016 }}, via [[THOMAS]] (accessed January 30, 2009)</ref> [[Advice and consent#United States|confirmation by the Senate]] was required. The Senate [[United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions|Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee]] held a confirmation hearing for Daschle on January 8, 2009.<ref name=thomasnom /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/08/AR2009010800469.html?hpid=topnews|title=Obama's pick to lead on health care gets hearing|last=Freking|first=Kevin|date=January 8, 2009|work=in Washington Post|agency=Associated Press|access-date=January 8, 2009}}</ref> A second Senate committee, the [[United States Senate Committee on Finance|Finance Committee]], also traditionally reviews HHS Secretary nominees; the committee discussed his nomination behind closed doors on February 2, 2009.<ref name=cnntaxes>"[http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/30/daschle.taxes/index.html Committee to review Daschle taxes over loaned car]," CNN.com, January 30, 2009. (Accessed January 30, 2009.)</ref><ref name=nrotaxes>[[Yuval Levin]], "[https://archive.today/20130129135002/http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZmYzYjNlMmM1MjM0NzZlMGYzODQ3NzkzOWY2NGRkN2Q More Nominee Tax Troubles]", ''National Review Online'', January 30, 2009. (Accessed January 30, 2009.)</ref>

====Withdrawal====
On January 30, 2009, it was reported that Daschle's friendship and business partnership with businessman [[Leo Hindery]] could cause problems for Daschle's Senate confirmation. Daschle has been a paid consultant and advisor to Hindery's [[InterMedia Partners]] since 2005, during which time he received from Hindery access to a [[limousine]] and [[chauffeur]]. Daschle reportedly did not declare this service on his annual tax forms as required by law. A spokeswoman for Daschle said that he "simply and probably naively" considered the use of the car and driver "a generous offer" from Hindery, "a longtime friend."<ref name=washingtonposttaxes /><ref name=cnntaxes /><ref name=abctaxes>[[Jake Tapper]], "[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/01/bumps-in-the-ro.html Bumps in the Road: Obama's HHS Secretary Nominee Faces Tax Questions Over Car and Driver] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718105724/http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/01/bumps-in-the-ro.html |date=July 18, 2011 }}," [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]], January 30, 2009. (Accessed January 30, 2009.)</ref><ref name=wsjtaxes>Jonathan Weisman, "[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123335984751235247 Daschle Paid Back Taxes After Vetting]", ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', January 31, 2009. (Accessed January 31, 2009.)</ref> Daschle told the Senate Finance Committee that in June 2008—just as he was letting the press know he would like to be HHS secretary in an Obama administration<ref name=nationaljournalhhs />—that "something made him think that the car service might be taxable" and he began seeking to remedy the situation.<ref name=wsjtaxes2>[[United States Senate Committee on Finance|Senate Finance Committee]], Draft of "[https://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/DraftDaschleReport.pdf Statement Concerning the Nomination of Thomas A. Daschle]" ([[Portable Document Format|PDF format]]), hosted by [[Wall Street Journal|WSJ.com]]. (Accessed January 31, 2009.)</ref>

Daschle reportedly also did not pay taxes on an additional $83,333 that he earned as a consultant to [[InterMedia Partners]] in 2007; this was discovered by Senator Daschle's accountant in December 2008.<ref name=wsjtaxes2 /> According to [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]], Daschle also took tax deductions for $14,963 in donations that he made between 2005 and 2007 to charitable organizations that did not meet the requirements for being tax deductible.<ref>[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/01/more-daschle-ta.html More Daschle Tax Issues], ABC News, January 30, 2009</ref>

The former senator paid the three years of owed taxes and interest—an amount totaling $140,167—in January 2009,<ref name=abctaxes /><ref name=wsjtaxes /><ref name=wsjtaxes2 /><ref name=abctaxes2>[[Jake Tapper]], "[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/01/more-daschle-ta.html More Daschle Tax Issues]," [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]], January 30, 2009. (Accessed January 31, 2009.)</ref> but still reportedly owed "Medicare taxes equal to 2.9 percent" of the value of the car service he received, amounting to "thousands of dollars in additional unpaid taxes."<ref name=nyttaxes>Carl Hulse and Robert Pear, "[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/us/politics/03daschle.html Daschle Apologizes Over Taxes as Allies Give Support]", ''[[New York Times]]'', February 2, 2009. (Accessed February 3, 2009.)</ref>

On February 3, 2009, Daschle withdrew his nomination,<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4450211/Barack-Obama-nominees-forced-to-quit-over-taxes.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206091522/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4450211/Barack-Obama-nominees-forced-to-quit-over-taxes.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 6, 2009 | work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | title=Barack Obama nominees forced to quit over taxes | first=Toby | last=Harnden | date=February 3, 2009 | access-date=May 25, 2010}}</ref> saying that he did not wish to be a "distraction" to the Obama agenda.<ref name=daschlewithdrawl />

===Health policy===
Daschle co-wrote the 2008 book ''Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis'' {{ISBN|9780312383015}}.<ref>Tom Daschle, Scott S. Greenberger, and Jeanne M. Lambrew, ''Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis'', Thomas Dunne, 2008. {{ISBN|978-0-312-38301-5}}</ref> He and his co-authors point out that "most of the world’s highest-ranking health-care systems employ some kind of [[Single payer|'single-payer']] strategy – that is, the government, directly or through insurers, is responsible for paying doctors, hospitals, and other health-care providers." They argue that a single-payer approach is simple, equitable, provides everyone with the same benefits, and saves billions of dollars through economies of scale and simplified administration. They concede that implementing a single-payer system in the United States would be "politically problematic" even though some polls show more satisfaction with the single-payer [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] system than [[Private Option|private insurance]].<ref name=davis>Karen Davis, Cathy Schoen, Michelle Doty, and Katie Tenney "[http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w2.311v1/DC1 Medicare Versus Private Insurance: Rhetoric And Reality]", ''Health Affairs'', October 9, 2002. (Accessed June 18, 2009.)</ref>

A key element of the single-payer plan that Daschle and his co-authors propose in the book is a new "Federal Health Board" that would establish the framework and fill in the details. The board would somehow be simultaneously "insulated from political pressure" and "accountable to elected officials and the American people." The board would "promote 'high-value' medical care by recommending coverage of those drugs and procedures backed by solid evidence."<ref>{{cite web|last=McCanne |first=Don |url=http://www.pnhp.org/blog/2008/12/08/sen-daschles-critical/ |title=Sen. Daschle's "Critical," |publisher=Physicians for a National Health Program |date=December 8, 2008 |access-date=October 26, 2011}}</ref> This proposal has been criticized by conservatives and [[Libertarianism|libertarians]] who argue that such a board will lead to rationing of health care,<ref name=cannon>Michael F. Cannon, "[https://archive.today/20130129164456/http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MTE1YWYwZTgzOTIyOWQwNTEzZTg4N2U1MTc2NTE4YTI Daschle Care", National Review Online, January 30, 2009. (Accessed January 30, 2009.)]</ref><ref name=capretta>James C. Capretta, "[http://www.thenewatlantis.com/blog/diagnosis/obamas-health-care-czar Obama's Health Care Czar]", ''New Atlantis: Diagnosis'', December 12, 2008. (Accessed January 30, 2009.)</ref> and by [[Progressivism in the United States|progressives]] who believe the board will, as one writer put it, "get defanged by lobbyists immediately."<ref name=holt>Matthew Holt, "[http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/the_health_care_blog/2008/12/critical-of-cri.html Critical of ''Critical''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203224239/http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/the_health_care_blog/2008/12/critical-of-cri.html |date=February 3, 2009 }}", December 31, 2008. (Accessed January 30, 2009.)</ref>

One of Daschle's co-authors, [[Jeanne Lambrew]], had been slated before his withdrawal to serve as his deputy in the White House Office of Health Reform.<ref name=capretta />

Daschle also served as a panelist on the [[Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense]], a body that recommended changes to U.S. policy to strengthen national biodefense.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.biodefensestudy.org/|title=Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense|website=www.biodefensestudy.org|access-date=2017-03-07}}</ref> In order to address biological threats facing the nation, the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense created a 33 step initiative for the U.S. Government to implement. Headed by former senator Joe Lieberman and former governor [[Tom Ridge]], the Study Panel assembled in Washington, D.C., for four meetings concerning current biodefense programs. The Study Panel concluded that the federal government had little to no defense mechanisms in case of a biological event. The Study Panel's final report, ''The National Blueprint for Biodefense'', proposes a string of solutions and recommendations for the U.S. Government to take, including items such as giving the vice president authority over biodefense responsibilities and merging the entire biodefense budget. These solutions represent the Panel's call to action in order to increase awareness and activity for pandemic related issues.

===9/11===
Daschle claims he was asked by vice president [[Dick Cheney]] "not to investigate" the events of [[September 11 attacks|9/11]].<ref>''[[Meet the Press]]'', May 2002, Host Tim Russert, Guest Dick Cheney</ref>

He told reporters, "the vice president expressed the concern that a review of what happened on September 11 would take resources and personnel away from the effort in the war on terrorism. I acknowledged that concern, and it is for that reason that the Intelligence Committee is going to begin this effort, trying to limit the scope and the overall review of what happened. But clearly, I think the American people are entitled to know what happened and why."<ref name="TerrorProbe">{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/01/29/inv.terror.probe/|title=Bush asks Daschle to limit Sept. 11 probes|date=29 January 2002|website=CNN|quote=Tuesday's discussion followed a rare call to Daschle from Vice President Dick Cheney last Friday to make the same request.}}</ref>