WASHINGTON (AP) – He’s tackled the financial crisis, served two vice presidents and been portrayed by Kevin Spacey in an HBO film, but Ron Klain’s newest job as the U.S. point person on Ebola may be his toughest challenge to date.
A longtime Democratic operative, Klain was tasked Friday by President Barack Obama with running the government’s response to the Ebola crisis. Klain has been a trusted adviser at the Obama White House, and served as Vice President Joe Biden’s chief of staff from 2009 to 2011 and as Vice President Al Gore’s from 1995 to 1999.
Klain has been out of government since leaving Biden’s office during the Obama’s first term. The White House said that Klain would report to national security adviser Susan Rice and to homeland security and counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco.
Klain, a lawyer, also served as chief of staff for Vice President Al Gore and was a key figure during the 2000 Florida presidential election recount. He previously served under Attorney General Janet Reno in the Clinton administration.
The White House is calling the new post an “Ebola response coordinator.” Obama has been under pressure to name an Ebola “czar” to oversee health security in the U.S. and actions to help stem the outbreak in West Africa, where nearly 4,500 people have died from the virus.