HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has brought on former Obama-era health official Leslie Dach as a temporary adviser to assist with the department’s messaging on the pandemic response.
Dach, a well-known Democratic communications specialist, told POLITICO that he’ll spend the next several weeks helping to coordinate Covid-19 policy and messaging across the department — including working with the White House and agencies like the Centers for Disease Control. His official HHS title is Covid-19 strategic planning director.
“The mechanics of bringing all the assets of HHS to bear on something and working with the White House and knowing everybody’s lane, that’s something I know how to do,” he said.
Dach’s appointment comes as the administration is grappling with plans to begin distributing Covid-19 booster shots to all adults — a controversial decision that’s prompted internal disputes and muddled the government’s vaccination campaign.
Biden health officials originally announced they would begin handing out boosters this week. But that prompted pushback from within the CDC and Food and Drug Administration. On Friday, a vaccine advisory panel scrambled the government’s strategy further by recommending that boosters only be given to a narrower group of higher-risk people.
Beyond the booster debate, the administration is also pushing for widespread vaccination requirements and trying to scale up Covid-19 testing in a redoubled effort to rein in the virus.
Dach served as a senior counselor to then-HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell during the Obama administration, where he helped manage the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
He later advised Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 presidential campaign, before launching the pro-ACA group Protect Our Care to fight the Trump administration’s efforts to repeal the health law.
The organization has more recently focused on aiding the Biden administration’s health agenda and advocating for efforts to lower drug prices as part of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill.
Dach has taken a temporary leave of absence from Protect Our Care, with plans to return to the group when his HHS tour ends.
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September 21, 2021 at 05:11AM
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Former Obama aide tapped to help with HHS Covid messaging - POLITICO
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