Andrea Palm

Palm Was Confirmed By The Senate And Sworn In As Deputy Secretary On May 12, 2021. “Today, following a bipartisan confirmation by the U.S. Senate, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra formally swore in Andrea Palm as Deputy Secretary. Palm previously served as the Secretary-designee of Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services and in several leadership roles at HHS during the Obama-Biden Administration.” [U.S. Department Of Health & Human Services, 5/12/21]

AP News Reported Palm Was Nominated As Deputy Secretary Of HHS On January 18, 2021. “Wisconsin’s top health official, who has led the state throughout the coronavirus pandemic, is leaving for a job with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President-elect Joe Biden. Andrea Palm, secretary-designee of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, has been nominated as deputy secretary of the federal agency…Palm’s last day at the Wisconsin agency is Wednesday.” [AP News, 1/18/21] 

Wisconsin State Journal Reported Palm Will Become Biden’s Second Highest-Ranking Health Official Within HHS. “On Monday, Gov. Tony Evers announced Andrea Palm’s departure from the Department of Health Services to take on the role of deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — effectively becoming Biden’s No. 2 health official.” [Wisconsin State Journal, 1/19/21] 

POLITICO Reported Palm May Play A Considerable Role In Implementing Biden’s Health Agenda Under Xavier Becerra. “Biden’s selection of Andrea Palm for the No. 2 job at HHS is aimed at aiding an incoming administration with a lengthy agenda and a need to show results fast. Palm — a Wisconsin state health official who previously held several senior positions in the Obama HHS — already knows the department well, putting her in a prime position to manage its day-to-day operations. And after spending the last two years navigating Wisconsin’s tricky political landscape, tangling with a GOP legislature that refused to confirm her and fought aspects of the state’s Covid-19 response — making her a target of anti-lockdown protests and lawsuits — she’s unlikely to be jarred by the deep divides in Washington… The choice signals that while Becerra — a longtime politician — may be the one called upon to sell the Biden health agenda to the American public, much of the behind-the-scenes work of writing and implementing that agenda will hinge on Palm’s management of the policymaking process across the sprawling department.” [POLITICO, 1/19/21] 

• Secretary-Designee for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 2019 – 2021 

• Senior Counselor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014 – 2017 

• Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013 – 2014 

• Counselor to the Secretary for Science and Public Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011 – 2013 

• Senior Advisor for the White House Domestic Policy Counsel, 2010 – 2011 

• Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009 – 2010 

• Senior Health Policy Advisor for U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, 2004 – 2009 

• Legislative Director for U.S. Representative Robert Matsui, 2001 – 2004 

• Government Relations Manager for Volunteers of America, 1998 – 2001 

• Policy Analyst for the City of Phoenix Human Service Department, 1997 – 1998 

Palm Hired Former Planned Parenthood Of Wisconsin Vice President To Wisconsin’s Department Of Health Services, Despite Pushback From Some Wisconsin Anti-Abortion Lawmakers In 2019. “Senate panel is backing the confirmation of Gov. Tony Evers' leader of the Department of Health Services despite strong objection from anti-abortion groups and some conservative Republicans months ago. Andrea Palm, who has overseen the state's health agency since January, will now go before the full Senate to be confirmed as the department's permanent leader. All but one member of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services voted Wednesday to confirm Palm, saying she was highly qualified for the job despite some philosophical differences they have with a top deputy in the agency who previously worked for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. It was Palm's hiring of Nicole Safar, a former vice president at Planned Parenthood, that has drawn criticism from anti-abortion groups and lawmakers and threw Palm's confirmation into jeopardy.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/21/19] 

Palm Received Pushback From Anti-Choice Lawmakers Attempting To Close Planned Parenthood Clinics During A Wisconsin COVID-19 Stay At Home Executive Order. “Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, which offers abortions at only three of its two dozen clinics across the state (Madison, Milwaukee and Sheboygan), posted on its Facebook page last week that its sites remain open. Its clinics provide a variety of services to patients such as birth control access, cancer screenings, STD treatments and more. Republican lawmakers in their letter to Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm called for closing the operations during the length of [Wisconsin governor] Evers' order…Palm, who has led the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic, has previously drawn scrutiny from some over her decision to select a former Planned Parenthood lobbyist as her assistant deputy secretary.” [The Capital Times, 4/2/20]