Congressman (D-SD) 1979-1987
Senator (D-SD) 1987-2005

Tom Daschle has participated in the development and debate of almost every major public policy issue of the last three decades. In 1978, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for eight years. In 1986, he was elected to the U.S. Senate and was chosen as Senate Democratic Leader in 1994. Senator Daschle is one of the longest-serving Senate Democratic leaders in history and served as both Majority and Minority Leader.

In 2007, Senator Daschle joined with former Majority Leaders George Mitchell, Bob Dole and Howard Baker to create the Bipartisan Policy Center, an organization dedicated to finding common ground on some of the pressing public policy challenges of our time.

Senator Daschle serves on numerous public and private boards, including the Center for American Progress and the National Democratic Institute. He is the founder and chairman of The Daschle Group, a public policy advisory of Baker Donelson, where he provides strategic advice on key national issues including health care, energy, transportation, and the environment. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Daschle graduated from South Dakota State University in 1969. He then served for three years as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force Strategic Command. Following his military service, he spent five years as an aide to Senator James Abourezk.