Former head of HHS says success comes when a secretary appoints the right people

We’re chatting with former Cabinet members, chiefs of staff and government leaders from now to Jan. 20 to get a sense of what the incoming administration might face as it takes the reins.

Today we’re talking to Tommy Thompson, the former governor of Wisconsin who also served as Health and Human Services secretary in the George W. Bush administration. Thompson joined Wisconsin Republicans on election night to celebrate President-elect Donald Trump’s victory earlier this month.

What advice do you have for the next Cabinet secretary?

The issues that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is focusing on are the same issues that I addressed when I was secretary. That is: obesity, diabetes, food safety and food security. My advice would be to appoint the right people to help lead the many divisions under Health and Human Services. That’s what makes you a successful secretary.

What’s one thing you didn’t know that you wish you did before you got into the job?

I was shocked when I got there to see how broad and how deep the Department of Health and Human Services affects the American people. There isn’t a human in the country that is not touched a daily basis by decisions made by the department. Whether it’s the food you eat, the drugs you take, the programs you receive, whether you’re elderly, a child or in high school or daycare, there isn’t anything that the department in some respect doesn’t touch.

What do you see as the biggest obstacle facing the next administration?

One of the biggest things always is that there are entrenched bureaucrats. There’s a saying in the Department of Health and Human Services that “in four years they will be gone and I will still be here.” They can out-wait a secretary quite easily, and they know that. The idea that they will be there after the secretary leaves so things don’t change is a huge problem in all federal departments. So what Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are doing [with their Department of Government Efficiency] is smart. If they can somehow reorganize and slim down the bureaucracy and make it more transparent and more accountable, then every secretary who comes in will be better served.

Where did you go to have a meltdown?

My way of regrouping is always to go to my farm in Elroy, Wisconsin. I would spend a few days there, getting on the tractor and doing some hard physical work and seeing the beauty of the land and the opportunities of growth with crops. It’s a great way to rehabilitate yourself.

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