Obama picks former Gates and Walmart Foundation official as new face of health care and considering the fact that she was approved 96-0 for her current job as director of the Office of Management and Budget it seems to be fairly safe bet that she will be confirmed easily for this job as well and most of the traditional press seems to think this is a good choice.
Unfortunately although she seems to have an enormous amount of political clout it clearly seems that it is because of her overwhelming support for the corporate sector including the Gates Foundation, the Walmart Foundation, The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and numerous other organizations, some of which are presented as charitable although they almost certainly do more to look out for their corporate backers than the recipients of their charity. One of the things she will be overseeing is of course the Affordable Care Act; yet she spent nine years as a Director of MetLife and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company which has a clear interest in health care policy. Her links to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation which is trying to cut numerous government programs to the poor should raise major doubts about how sincere she is about trying to reduce health care costs to the poor or anyone else for that matter.
When she was nominated for the director of the Office of Management and Budget the Nation Magazine reported the following about her activities at Walmart.
Obama's Budget Chief Nominee Led Walmart's Targeted Giving
Under the leadership of Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the Walmart Foundation used generous gifts to grease the way for store expansions.
This article was reported in partnership with The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute, with support from The Puffin Foundation.
Update: On March 4, President Obama nominated Sylvia Mathews Burwell as director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Recent reports suggest that President Obama is about to nominate Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the president of the Walmart Foundation, as director of the Office of Management and Budget. Her nomination would be a coup for Walmart and its foundation, which under Burwell’s watch has wielded its massive budget to expand the retail giant’s influence at all levels of government and to pave the way for store expansions.
The most recent tax disclosure from the Walmart Foundation, obtained by The Nation, shows that between February 2011 and January 2012, the company gave over $175.68 million in grants to charities, municipalities, churches and various community groups across the country, from the Environmental Defense Fund to Friends of NRA to Puppies Behind Bars. Our review of the foundation’s giving reveals that it has donated considerable cash to groups that have gone on the record to support Walmart during its most contentious political disputes, including the ongoing effort to open stores in New York City. The foundation also donates directly to municipalities, funds groups tied to powerful elected officials and instructs grantees to publicize Walmart’s generosity.
This article was reported in partnership with The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute, with support from The Puffin Foundation.
Update: On March 4, President Obama nominated Sylvia Mathews Burwell as director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Recent reports suggest that President Obama is about to nominate Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the president of the Walmart Foundation, as director of the Office of Management and Budget. Her nomination would be a coup for Walmart and its foundation, which under Burwell’s watch has wielded its massive budget to expand the retail giant’s influence at all levels of government and to pave the way for store expansions.
The most recent tax disclosure from the Walmart Foundation, obtained by The Nation, shows that between February 2011 and January 2012, the company gave over $175.68 million in grants to charities, municipalities, churches and various community groups across the country, from the Environmental Defense Fund to Friends of NRA to Puppies Behind Bars. Our review of the foundation’s giving reveals that it has donated considerable cash to groups that have gone on the record to support Walmart during its most contentious political disputes, including the ongoing effort to open stores in New York City. The foundation also donates directly to municipalities, funds groups tied to powerful elected officials and instructs grantees to publicize Walmart’s generosity. Complete article
Under the leadership of Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the Walmart Foundation used generous gifts to grease the way for store expansions.
This article was reported in partnership with The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute, with support from The Puffin Foundation.
Update: On March 4, President Obama nominated Sylvia Mathews Burwell as director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Recent reports suggest that President Obama is about to nominate Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the president of the Walmart Foundation, as director of the Office of Management and Budget. Her nomination would be a coup for Walmart and its foundation, which under Burwell’s watch has wielded its massive budget to expand the retail giant’s influence at all levels of government and to pave the way for store expansions.
The most recent tax disclosure from the Walmart Foundation, obtained by The Nation, shows that between February 2011 and January 2012, the company gave over $175.68 million in grants to charities, municipalities, churches and various community groups across the country, from the Environmental Defense Fund to Friends of NRA to Puppies Behind Bars. Our review of the foundation’s giving reveals that it has donated considerable cash to groups that have gone on the record to support Walmart during its most contentious political disputes, including the ongoing effort to open stores in New York City. The foundation also donates directly to municipalities, funds groups tied to powerful elected officials and instructs grantees to publicize Walmart’s generosity.
This article was reported in partnership with The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute, with support from The Puffin Foundation.
Update: On March 4, President Obama nominated Sylvia Mathews Burwell as director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Recent reports suggest that President Obama is about to nominate Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the president of the Walmart Foundation, as director of the Office of Management and Budget. Her nomination would be a coup for Walmart and its foundation, which under Burwell’s watch has wielded its massive budget to expand the retail giant’s influence at all levels of government and to pave the way for store expansions.
The most recent tax disclosure from the Walmart Foundation, obtained by The Nation, shows that between February 2011 and January 2012, the company gave over $175.68 million in grants to charities, municipalities, churches and various community groups across the country, from the Environmental Defense Fund to Friends of NRA to Puppies Behind Bars. Our review of the foundation’s giving reveals that it has donated considerable cash to groups that have gone on the record to support Walmart during its most contentious political disputes, including the ongoing effort to open stores in New York City. The foundation also donates directly to municipalities, funds groups tied to powerful elected officials and instructs grantees to publicize Walmart’s generosity. Complete article
This has been reposted recently by The Blaze, The Problem the Left Might Have With Obama’s Pick to Replace Kathleen Sebelius, and Forbes Magazine listed some of her corporate connections as of 2013 in the following excerpts
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, President, The Walmart Foundation (Jan. 2012 - Present); President, Global Development Program (Apr. 2006 - Dec. 2011). Ms. Burwell joined the Foundation in 2001 as Executive Vice President and served as its Chief Operating Officer from 2002 to April 2006. Prior to joining the Foundation, she served as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C. from 1998. Ms. Burwell served as Deputy Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 1998, and was Chief of Staff to Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin from 1995 to 1997. She also served as Staff Director for the National Economic Council from 1993 to 1995. Ms. Burwell was Manager of President Clintons economic transition team. Prior to that, she was an Associate at McKinsey and Company from 1990 through 1992. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the Aspen Strategy Group, the Trilateral Commission and the Nike Foundation Advisory Group, a member of the Board of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, an Advisory Board member for the Next Generation Initiative and the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, and a member of the Professional Advisory Board for the ALS Evergreen Chapter. Ms. Burwell received a bachelors degree in government, cum laude, from Harvard University in 1987 and a bachelors degree in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar. Ms. Burwell has been a Director of MetLife and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company since 2004. On April 19, 2013, Ms. Sylvia Mathews Burwell resigned from the Board of Directors of MetLife, Inc., effective as of that date. Complete article
We're supposed to believe that someone with all these corporate connections is supporting programs for the poor? If the Republicans nominated someone with a track record like this the Democrats would almost certainly be outraged. Will many people notice now that Obama is the one nominating her?
I'm stunned to find out that I even seem to be partially agreeing with Sarah Palin; I don't remember that ever happening before.
There was a certain amount of debate during her confirmation last year but it all seems to have been for show considering the lopsided vote and some of the reporting about this new nomination implies that there might be more of the same, some objection but also some praise from sources that rarely ever praise Obama including Mitch McConnell. This amount of overwhelming support from politicians only seems to come when it involves supporting the agenda of campaign contributors that donate an enormous amount of money to both parties at the expense of the majority of the public. If anyone is interested the following are a few more articles on her nomination.
Sylvia Mathews Burwell and the coming confirmation fight
Sylvia Mathews Burwell pick complicates Democrats' plans
Who is Sylvia Mathews Burwell? The likely new face of Obamacare.
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