Sylvia Matthews Burwell, Walmart Foundation Head, Nominated By Obama As OMB Director

Obama Picks Walmart Foundation Head For Big Job
US President Barack Obama speaks to the media about sequestration in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on March 1, 2013 following a meeting with US Speaker of the House John Boehner and Congressional leaders. Obama summoned congressional leaders but the talks were more for the sake of appearances rather than a deadline day bid to avert a damaging $85 billion in arbitrary budget cuts. Obama was bound by law to initiate the automatic, indiscriminate cuts, which could wound the already fragile economy, cost a million jobs and harm military readiness, in the absence of an deficit-cutting agreement. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
US President Barack Obama speaks to the media about sequestration in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on March 1, 2013 following a meeting with US Speaker of the House John Boehner and Congressional leaders. Obama summoned congressional leaders but the talks were more for the sake of appearances rather than a deadline day bid to avert a damaging $85 billion in arbitrary budget cuts. Obama was bound by law to initiate the automatic, indiscriminate cuts, which could wound the already fragile economy, cost a million jobs and harm military readiness, in the absence of an deficit-cutting agreement. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

President Barack Obama nominated Sylvia Matthews Burwell as Director of the White House Office of Management And Budget Monday. She is currently the head of the Walmart Foundation. She served as deputy budget director and deputy White House chief of staff under former President Bill Clinton. Burwell will replace Jeffrey Zients, who is acting director of the agency.

Burwell would take over the office that carries out the administration's spending policies. The budget office will inevitably get caught up in the ongoing budget battle between Democrats and Republicans.

She brings a certain outsider status to Obama's inner circle and as such may offer a fresh perspective from the business world far away from Washington.

And Burwell would bring gender diversity to the top echelons of the Obama White House. The president has drawn some fire from critics for picking men for many top jobs.

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