Obama to nominate Walmart Foundation’s Burwell for budget office, sources say

The word in Washington is Obama may turn to Walmart for budget expertise — meaning the company's veteran philanthropic director Sylvia Matthews Burwell for the White House budget director, CNN cited officials as saying on Sunday. 

Burwell presently directs the charitable Walmart Foundation after working for the Gates Foundation and earlier serving as the deputy director for the Office of Management and Budget under Clinton, reported the Associated Press. The 47-year-old also held a position as the chief of staff to former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. 

Provided her nomination is indeed put forth by Obama as expected on Monday, Burwell's candidacy would require Senate approval before assuming the Cabinet-rank position, according to CNN. 

The move would place her in a critical position at a time of heated discussion over budgetary matters in Washington, said AP, noting that her appointment would also give the president's male-dominated administration a glimmer of gender diversity. 

If confirmed, West Virginia native Burwell would replace temporary budget director Jeffrey Zients, said Reuters, noting that she would be serving alongside another Clinton veteran-turned-Obama appointee, new treasury secretary Jack Lew.