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Tom Daschle Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research

Here’s a look into the life of former Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota.

Personal

Birth date: December 9, 1947

Birth place: Aberdeen, South Dakota

Birth name: Thomas Andrew Daschle

Father: Sebastian Daschle

Mother: Betty Daschle

Marriages: Linda (Hall) Daschle (1984-present); Laurie (Fulton) Daschle (divorced in 1983)

Children: with Laurie Daschle: Kelly, Nathan and Lindsay

Education: South Dakota State University, B.A. in Political Science, 1969

Military: US Air Force, 1969-1972

Timeline

1969-1972 Serves in the Air Force as an intelligence officer in the Strategic Air Command.

1973-1977 Aide to South Dakota Sen. James Abourezk.

1978 Elected to the US House of Representatives in a hotly contested race. After numerous recounts, Daschle is declared the winner over Leo K. Thorsness by 105 votes.

1982 Is reelected to House with 51.6% of the vote.

1984 – Is reelected to House with 57.4% of the vote.

1986 – Is elected to the US Senate with 51.6% of the vote, the exact same result as 1982.

1989-1999 Serves as co-chair of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee with George Mitchell of Maine (1989-1995) and Harry Reid of Nevada (1995-1999).

1992 Reelected to the Senate with 64.9% of the vote.

1995 – Along with his wife, FAA official Linda Daschle, is involved in a scandal concerning the Federal Aviation Administration and B&L Aviation, a small airline which had trouble passing safety inspections and whose owner was a family friend. Daschle is accused of improperly asserting influence to reduce the amount of inspections B&L received. The incident is later cleared by the Transportation Department and the Senate Ethics Committee.

1995-2001 Serves as Senate minority leader, succeeding Mitchell.

1995-2005 – Serves as chairman of the Senate Democratic Conference.

1996Co-chairs the Democratic National Convention with Richard Gephardt, the Democratic House minority leader.

1998 – Reelected to a third term in the Senate with 62.1% of the vote.

June 6, 2001Becomes Senate majority leader by one vote after Jim Jeffords quits the Republican Party.

October 2001A Daschle aide opens a letter containing anthrax. The Hart Senate Building staff are evacuated, tested for anthrax, and given a 60-day supply of antibiotics.

January 2003-2005 Serves as Senate minority leader.

January 7, 2003Daschle announces that he will not be running for president in 2004 and will remain in the Senate.

November 2, 2004 Loses his Senate seat to Republican John Thune.

March 5, 2005-2009 Serves as special public policy adviser at the Washington branch of law firm Alston & Bird.

December 2, 2006 Announces that he will not be running for president in 2008.

2007 – Co-founds the Bipartisan Policy Center with George Mitchell, Bob Dole and Howard Baker.

December 11, 2008 – US President-elect Barack Obama nominates Daschle to be secretary of Health and Human Services and director of the White House Office of Health Reform.

January 8, 2009 Confirmation hearings for Daschle begin in the Senate.

February 2, 2009 In a letter to the Senate Finance Committee, Daschle admits to errors on his tax returns. The issue involves Daschle’s use of a car and driver he didn’t disclose on his income taxes, and nonpayment of taxes on more than $80,000 he earned in consulting fees after leaving the Senate. He paid $146,000 in back taxes and interest to correct the errors.

February 3, 2009 – Announces that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as secretary of Health and Human Services.

November 18, 2009-October 2014 – Senior policy adviser for business law firm DLA Piper.

2013 – His book “The US Senate: Fundamentals of American Government” is published.

October 2014 – Daschle leaves DLA Piper and forms The Daschle Group, a public policy advisory of the Baker Donelson law firm.

November 2, 2017 – Daschle and his son Nathan Daschle are named two of Capitol Hill’s top lobbyists in 2017.

May 20, 2019 – Northern Swan Holdings, a cannabis investment firm, announces that Daschle has joined its advisory board.

October 23, 2019 – Co-authors an Op-Ed in The Washington Post, along with former Sen. Trent Lott, titled “The Senate can hold a fair impeachment trial. We did it in 1999.”

May 20, 2021 – Is named a special adviser to Field Trip Health Ltd, a provider of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

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