Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Tom Daschle paid back taxes and interest to fix “issues” identified when preparing to be President Barack Obama’s nominee as Health and Human Services Secretary, White House spokesman Bill Burton said.

Obama “has confidence” that Daschle, 61, “is the right person to lead the fight for health-care reform” and will be confirmed, Burton said in a statement today.

The New York Times reported today that Daschle paid more than $100,000 in back taxes and interest, citing “administration officials.” The Times and ABC News said Daschle paid the taxes on the use of a car and driver provided for free by Leo Hindery Jr., a founder of the private equity firm InterMedia Advisors.

Senate Finance Committee Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, and ranking Republican Charles Grassley, of Iowa, will meet on Feb. 2 to discuss nominations, said Carol Guthrie, committee spokeswoman, in a telephone interview.

She declined to provide any further details.

Obama appointed Daschle, a former U.S. senator who rose to majority leader, on Dec. 11, saying he would be a “leading architect” of efforts to revamp the U.S. health-care system. His confirmation has been stalled in the Senate Finance Committee. The same panel confirmed Timothy Geithner after grilling him on his failure to pay almost $50,000 in taxes.

Daschle served in Congress for 26 years, losing his Senate seat in 2004.

Hindery didn’t immediately return a voice-mail message left on his cell phone.

To contact the reporters on this story: Robert Greene in Washington at rgreene2@bloomberg.net; Hans Nichols in Washington at Hnichols2@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 30, 2009 21:59 EST