White House Chief of Staff William Daley is stepping down from his post and will be replaced by Budget Director Jack Lew, NPR's Scott Horsley has confirmed.

Win McNamee/Getty ImagesWhite House Chief of Staff William Daley.The news, first reported by the Los Angeles Times and quickly followed by other news outlets, puts "a veteran staffer of the White House, Capitol Hill and State Department in a critical position at a difficult time for the president" — a reelection year — as the Times says.

Daley became chief of staff one year ago, succeeding Rahm Emanuel (who went on to become mayor of Chicago). Last November, some of Daley's duties were shifted to deputy Pete Rouse.