Over the weekend, the Obama transition team announced a few new key members of the White House staff, including Phil Schiliro, who will serve as assistant to the president for legislative affairs.
This will be someone to watch, as Schiliro was a long-time aide to Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who has called for aggressive climate action and is currently challenging John Dingell (D-Mich.) to chair the Energy and Commerce Committee. That committee will play a key role in shaping climate legislation next year, either helping or hindering Obama’s climate and energy agenda. From the announcement:
Phil Schiliro, Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Philip M. Schiliro is currently the Director of Congressional Relations for the transition team of President-Elect Barack Obama. Schiliro was a senior advisor to Senator Obama’s presidential campaign. He has worked in the United States Congress for more than 25 years. Schiliro served as the Chief of Staff to Representative Henry Waxman and the House Oversight Committee in the House, and the Policy Director for Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle and Staff Director of the Senate Democratic Leadership Committees in the Senate.
