The Next Hurrah: Even CDC Not Immune from Political Minders

The Next Hurrah: Even CDC Not Immune from Political Minders:

"One of those unique challenges, according to Blount's eight-page memo, is the CDC must request special approval for every overseas assignment from the HHS Office of Global Health Affairs. This adds an additional two to three months of delay in hiring staff for foreign postings, according to the memo. 'Some positions have been delayed for so many months that our partners doubt our commitment and credibility,' Blount wrote.

William Steiger, director of HHS' Office of Global Health Affairs, was out of the country and unavailable for comment, said spokesman Bill Hall. Steiger has come under fire in the past for allegedly micromanaging the overseas work of the department's scientific divisions. Steiger, the godson of former President George H.W. Bush, is President George W. Bush's nominee to be the next U.S. ambassador to Mozambique."