Obama nominates Wal-Mart's Burwell as budget chief

Obama announced Burwell's selection to lead the Office of Management and Budget during a White House ceremony, noting that her appointment comes as government-wide spending cuts are going into effect that he said mean "eventually a lot of people are going to feel some pain." The White House and congressional Republicans were unable to reach a deal to avert the cuts ahead of last Friday's deadline.

If confirmed by the Senate, Burwell would bring more diversity to Obama's second-term Cabinet following criticism that many top jobs were going to white men.

Burwell is a Washington veteran, having served as chief of staff to former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and as OMB's deputy director in the Clinton administration, where Obama noted she was on a team that presided over three consecutive budget surpluses. She has been running the Wal-Mart Foundation, the retail giant's philanthropic wing, and previously served as president of the Gates Foundation's Global Development Program, where Obama said she helped the organization "grow into a global force for good."