Andrea Palm

Andrea Palm (born 1973) is an American government official serving as Secretary-designee of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services in the cabinet of Governor Tony Evers. She previously worked as a senior staffer in the United States Department of Health and Human Services and White House policy advisor during the presidency of Barack Obama and was an aide to Hillary Clinton during her time in the United States Senate.[1]

Andrea Palm
Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Designee
Assumed office
January 2019
GovernorTony Evers
DeputyJulie Willems Van Dijk
Preceded byLinda Seemeyer
Personal details
Born1973 (age 46–47)
Star Lake, New York, U.S.
Spouse(s)Dan Utech (m. 2012)
Alma materCornell University (BS)
Washington University in St. Louis (MSW)

Early life and education

Palm was born and raised in Star Lake, New York. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in human services studies from Cornell University and Master of Social Work from the Washington University in St. Louis.[2][3]

Career

Palm began her career as a legislative assistant for California Congressman Bob Matsui. She then worked as a Health Policy Advisor to then-U.S. Senator, Hillary Clinton. In 2009 Palm was appointed Deputy Assistant United States Secretary of Health and Human Services for Legislation by President Barack Obama. Since the role of Assistant Secretary for Legislation was vacant, she served as Acting Assistant Secretary during that time. Palm then served as a policy advisor to the United States Domestic Policy Council at the White House. She rejoined the Department of Health and Human Services to serve as an advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Health and Chief of Staff of the HHS.[4][5][6]

Wisconsin DHS

In January 2019, Governor-elect Tony Evers nominated Palm to serve as Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Palm and other Evers-nominated cabinet secretaries began performing their duties while their confirmation hearings were pending. Palm's nomination stalled in the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature, with members citing Palms decision to name a former Planned Parenthood lobbyist as her deputy.[7][8] Wisconsin State Senate Majority Leader, Scott L. Fitzgerald, has continued to block Palm's nomination from appearing before a full Senate vote.[9]

COVID-19 response

While still acting as Secretary-designee, Palm has been tasked with managing Wisconsin's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Various mayors requested that Palm use her authority as Secretary to prevent in-person voting during the 2020 Wisconsin Democratic primary. Governor Tony Evers signed an executive order for all-mail-in election, but the order was rejected by the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature.[10] In May 2020, the Legislature filed a lawsuit against Palm personally, accusing her of "violating state law by extending the governor's emergency rules, exceeded her authority by closing businesses and locking down individuals, acting 'arbitrarily and capriciously' in her order, and usurping the legislature's oversight powers".[11] Member-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives Tom Tiffany later called on Palm to resign.[12] An updated stay-at-home order, issued by Palm, was struct down in a ruling by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, effectively reopening several businesses in the state against warnings by public health officials. In the decision, the Court ruled that while Governor Evers had emergency powers authority, Palm did not.[13][14][15]

Personal life

Palm is married to Dan Utech, a former advisor in the United States Department of Energy and United States Domestic Policy Council. Utech later served as Deputy Assistant to Barack Obama for Energy and Climate Change before becoming a lecturer at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.[16][17]

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References
  1. "Executive Team Bios". Wisconsin Department of Health Services. 2014-09-12. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  2. Wise, David. "Profile: Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm". WisPolitics.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  3. Wise, David. "Profile: Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm". WisPolitics.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  4. "Gov.-elect Tony Evers appoints former Obama administration official Andrea Palm to Cabinet". TMJ4. 2019-01-03. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  5. "Evers' pick for DHS secretary plans to improve healthcare affordability, access". Wisconsin Health News. 2019-01-03. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  6. Martens, Bill (2019-04-08). "Andrea Palm". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  7. "Evers' pick to lead health agency wins committee approval". WMTV. Associated Press. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  8. "Evers' official: Ex-Planned Parenthood VP has no legal say". Associated Press. 2019-02-27. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  9. "Another view: Republicans are being petty with our new governor". Lake Geneva News. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  10. "Mayors in Wisconsin call on Secretary Andrea Palm to Delay Election". City of Madison, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  11. "Mayors in Wisconsin call on Secretary Andrea Palm to Delay Election". City of Madison, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  12. "Legislature Asks State Supreme Court to Rein In Sec.-Designee Andrea Palm". MacIver Institute. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  13. "Legislature Asks State Supreme Court to Rein In Sec.-Designee Andrea Palm". MacIver Institute. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  14. "Some Local Governments in Wisconsin Drop Stay-At-Home Orders". The New York Times. Associated Press. 2020-05-15. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  15. "Wisconsin Supreme Court Invalidates State's COVID-19 Stay-At-Home Order". The New York Times. Reuters. 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  16. "Real Wedding: Andrea and Dan". Washingtonian. 2013-10-09. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  17. "Dan Utech". Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
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