Former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle (D) will join the Center for American Progress, the first Member to affiliate himself with the progressive think tank.

Daschle will serve as a distinguished senior fellow at the group, focusing on health care policy.

[IMGCAP(1)]“The center is enormously grateful that Sen. Daschle has decided to continue his lifelong public service by dedicating a significant portion of his time to solving the health care crisis,” said American Progress head John Podesta.

Daschle will continue to work at the Washington, D.C., law firm Alston and Bird and serve as a visiting professor at Georgetown University.

Daschle served in the Senate from 1986 until 2004, when he was defeated by now-Sen. John Thune (R). Daschle was elected party leader in 1994, a post he held in both the majority and the minority until his defeat.