Philip Schiliro, Veteran Congressional Aide, Named To Obama's Staff

CHICAGO — President-elect Barack Obama has chosen a veteran Capitol Hill aide as his top White House representative to Congress, the Democrat's transition team announced Saturday as he works to fill out the senior ranks of his team.

Philip Schiliro has worked in Congress for more than 25 years, many of which were spent as a top aide to longtime Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and the House Oversight Committee. His official title will be assistant to the president for legislative affairs when the new administration takes over Jan. 20.

The move signals a continuing effort by Obama to ensure he has a smooth relationship with the Democratic-controlled House and Senate. Others on his team also have long ties to Capitol Hill, including Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the next White House chief of staff.

Obama's team also formally announced that Ron Klain, a former chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore, would serve in the same role for Vice President-elect Joe Biden, and that longtime Obama friend and supporter Valerie Jarrett will be a senior adviser and assistant to Obama for intergovernmental relations.

In the coming days, Obama's transition team plans to announce more senior staff positions. Those announcements could include the likely appointments of campaign senior adviser Robert Gibbs as White House press secretary, chief strategist David Axelrod as a top White House adviser, and Gregory Craig, President Clinton's impeachment trial lawyer, as White House counsel.

Currently, Schiliro is the director of congressional relations for Obama's transition team, and was a senior adviser on the presidential campaign.

Like several other top Obama advisers, Schiliro has ties to Tom Daschle; he served as policy director when the former South Dakota senator was the Senate Democratic leader. He also was the staff director of the Senate Democratic Leadership Committee. In the 1990s, he twice unsuccessfully ran for a congressional seat from New York's Long Island.

Much of Schiliro's career has been spent investigating allegations of wrongdoing under Waxman and the House Oversight Committee.

He has been credited with bringing the issue of steroids in Major League Baseball to Waxman's attention in 2005 after reading Jose Canseco's book, "Juiced," which said he and other players had used performance-enhancing drugs. Congress investigated the allegations and subpoenaed baseball stars, including retired slugger Mark McGwire.

Comments

[jimpwhite]

House Veterans' Affairs is losing a good friend to the veteran-specific issues! If your reading this old friend...K­imberly is my pick for your chair at Veterans! Aloha Philip....­now go to work there's lot 's too accomplish­!...Mahalo

[Smurfysax]

Yes, this brother has got it together. Woooo, Obama is my president! Now getter done and PLEASE don't give the naysayers any advantage.

[edwarvir]

quinn52 Hillary did not help herself. She used every
opportunity to discredit him, even after we begged her
to stop. He needs to go after the best not the
selfish delusional or the needy for power. The Clintons
need a rest.

[marinade]

"The move signals a continuing effort by Obama to ensure he has a smooth relationship with the Democratic­-controlle­d House and Senate."

Heaven knows, we wouldn't want to upset those underperfo­rmers(euph­emism) by doing something different.

Here's an idea. Let's get some new blood in there.

[brynn6]

Can you suggest someone better?

[roshni]

Good appointment. The Executive and Legislative branches of our govt. need to work together seamlessly.

[Elderlady]

Lord Amercy.

So he's the guy who ended Roger Clemen's career.

Wow!

[cyndeewi]

LOL

[qxav949]

As Mr. Obama once commented, Congress needs to focus on more critical issues instead of steroids in sports, dangerous as they are. I trust that Mr. Schiliro will grow into his enhanced role and use his experience as aide to the House's most aggressive investigating legislators to the benefit of Mr. Obama's White House. His years on the Hill inspire confidence that he will succeed.

[Mancini]

Henry Waxman rocks.

WOOOOO! OBAMA 2008 "The Revolution Was Televised"
http://www.zazzle.com/blackgoldbrand

[Loki11467]

Anyone who has worked for Waxman rocks!

[shaytoonee]

Finally we will ahve a white house that will run smoothly and gets things done.

Obama is showing that he isnt going to be a push-over.

[quinn52]

Exactly! No pushover - not even to the left wing. I wish some of those ranting against HRC on the other threads could get this point.