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News Release

BOBBY JINDAL ANNOUNCES HE IS STEPPING DOWN
AS HHS ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PLANNING AND EVALUATION

Bobby Jindal announced today that he is stepping down as assistant secretary for planning and evaluation to consider other opportunities in his home state of Louisiana.

"When Bobby came on board I gave him a couple challenges. He was to lead our efforts to develop a strategy to address the issue of the uninsured and he also was charged with helping create a Medicare reform plan that not only addresses the challenges facing the program, but one that Congress could pass. Bobby has met both those challenges and more," Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "He has also tackled the high priority issue of establishing the faith-based office at HHS and he successfully led the Secretary's Regulatory Reform Committee and Research Coordinating Council. He has been a real asset at HHS and the Bush Administration."

President Bush nominated Mr. Jindal to be assistant secretary for planning and evaluation in March of 2001. The assistant secretary of planning and evaluation serves as the principal policy advisor to the Secretary on key areas including Medicare and the uninsured. Other broad areas of responsibility include policy formulation and analysis, the development and review of regulations and legislation, budget analysis, strategic planning as well as the conduct and coordination of policy research and program evaluation.

Under Jindal's leadership, the Secretary's Regulatory Reform Committee made over 255 specific recommendations on making American's health care system less bureaucratic and more efficient and successfully implemented 27 of those recommendations before the committee even finalized its report. He also led the Department's Research Coordinating Council, which coordinates $30 billion in annual spending at HHS

"Bobby has been a trusted advisor, and instrumental in helping manage the Department's many programs. I have been impressed with his intelligence, energy and dedication to public service. He has served the nation, President Bush and HHS well. We will be sorry to see him go, but would welcome the opportunity to work with him again. Louisiana is lucky to have him back," said Secretary Thompson.

Prior to serving as assistant secretary for planning and evaluation, Jindal was the president of the University of Louisiana system, one of the largest higher education systems in the nation comprised of eight campuses, 80,000 students and 8,000 faculty and staff. In 1998 Jindal was named executive director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare, a panel charged with developing a plan to reform Medicare. From 1996 until his appointment to the commission, Jindal was the Louisiana secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals.

Jindal was born and raised in Baton Rouge, La., is a graduate of Brown University as well as Rhodes scholar with a graduate degree from Oxford University.

Jindal's resignation is effective Feb. 21. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation William Raub will be the acting assistant secretary for planning and evaluation while the search for a new assistant secretary takes place.

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Last Revised: February 13, 2003