Former HHS Secretary Donna Shalala in the national spotlight with coronavirus on center stage

With her long tenures in higher education and in public office, it’s easy to forget that U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla., is in her first term on Capitol Hill. Shalala certainly does not have the usual profile for a representative in their first term. She turned 79 last month and, thanks to serving all eight years during Bill Clinton’s presidency, she is the longest-tenured secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in American history.