Former Obama Aide Phil Schiliro Returns To Help Oversee Obamacare

Schiliro is the president's former congressional liaison.

The New York Times: Obama Recalls An Aide To Guide Health Care Law
As the Obama administration continues the aggressive public defense of the Affordable Care Act it began this week, the president will get some help from his former chief congressional lobbyist, Phil Schiliro, who is returning temporarily to the White House almost exactly two years after he left. Mr. Schiliro’s job, which is expected to last a few months, is to help protect the health care law from legislative attacks by repeal-minded Republicans in Congress, and to quiet dissent from politically vulnerable Democrats seeking to distance themselves from the law and the president ahead of the midterm congressional elections (Calmes, 12/6).

Politico: Ex-Obama Aide Phil Schiliro Returns To White House As Obamacare Strategist
Schiliro’s assignment, which will last several months, is Obama’s first personnel move at the White House since the disastrous rollout of HealthCare.gov.  ... Schiliro left the White House in December 2011 after serving as an architect of Obama’s top legislative achievements of his first term, including Obamacare, the economic stimulus program and the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul law (Budoff Brown, 12/6).

Bloomberg: Ex-Obama Aide Schiliro To Return To Oversee Health Law Rollout
“We are focused like a laser on reducing health-care costs implementing the Affordable Care Act, and Phil will be vital to ensuring it is done right,” White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said in a statement. “Anyone who has worked with him knows Phil has the expertise, the wisdom, and the relationships to tackle any project -– large or small. We are blessed to have him back.” (Goldman, 12/7).

USA Today: Sibling Rivalry? Zeke Vs. Rahm Emanuel On Obamacare
When Rahm Emanuel was White House chief of staff and Ezekiel Emanuel was helping draft the Affordable Care Act, the famously combative brothers clashed over the health care law. "He thought we should have done something more incremental," ... Zeke Emanuel said in an interview … But now, the prominent health policy analyst says the technical problems that have dogged the website are being solved and "will soon be forgotten" (Page, 12/9).