By Former First Lady Jill Biden, who spent much of her time in the White House teaching community college English and acting as the Biden administration’s goodwill ambassador, has resurfaced with a new title: chair of the Milken Institute’s freshly minted “Women’s Health Network.” The initiative, billed as a national effort to reform women’s health care, is the latest high-profile appointment in a post-presidency rebranding campaign for the Bidens.
The Institute, a think tank founded by disgraced Wall Street financier Michael Milken, says the program will promote investment and innovation in a supposedly “underserved” sector of the health care system—though critics note that women’s health has been a well-funded priority of federal agencies for decades.
Liberals know how to take care of their own, writes The Daily Caller.
Under its new “Women’s Health Network,” Biden and the Milken institute will aim to promote research and development of services for women “by elevating existing and new efforts across the women’s health ecosystem,” the press release reads.
“The Milken Institute is grateful for Dr. Biden’s leadership during her tenure in the White House and her steadfast commitment to championing investment in women’s health. We are so pleased she will join us as we launch and grow the Women’s Health Network,” Esther Krofah, executive vice president of Milken Institute Health, said in the press release.
“Data shows that women’s health faces persistent underinvestment in research and innovation across many disease conditions that affect women uniquely, differently, or disproportionately. However, we know progress is possible and it can be achieved through partnerships in the Network that can transform women’s health and well-being for years to come,” Krofah continued.
In February 2024, Biden announced $100 million in federal funding for women’s health research as part of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research.
The former First Lady, whose doctorate is in education and whose dissertation focused on community college retention rates, has long dabbled in health advocacy. In 1993, she launched the Biden Breast Health Initiative—another nonprofit vehicle centered on breast cancer awareness.
The Milken Institute itself is no stranger to that world. Though it markets itself as bipartisan, the organization leans heavily into center-left policy preferences and high-dollar conferences populated by industry insiders and political operatives. Its founder, Michael Milken, was a symbol of 1980s financial excess, convicted on multiple counts of securities fraud before receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump in 2020—a rare point of overlap between Trump and Biden world.
Joe Biden, according to reports, is quietly coordinating with Democratic leaders as they scramble to rebuild ahead of the 2026 midterms. Jill Biden, meanwhile, is attempting to reassert her influence through nonprofit work and public appearances.
“Though Biden is willing to help,” wrote NBC News, “Democrats aren’t unanimous in wanting them to. Some party activists believe Biden is an admired figure who remains a draw inside a grateful party.
Jane Kleeb, a vice chair of the DNC, said in an interview: ‘f you were to call any state party chair and ask them if they wanted Joe Biden to be a keynote speaker for their annual dinner, the answer would be yes. He is beloved by the party and beloved by the voters.’
Others argue that reminding voters of a 2024 campaign that went sour isn’t the best strategy for a party that is grasping for a message and searching for new, younger leaders. A CNN poll this month asked Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents which leader best reflects the party’s core values. Only 1% chose Biden.”
Rumors also continue to persist that both Bidens are pursuing book deals, an easy cash grab for former leaders.
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