Obama to name national security official McDonough as chief of staff, source says

President Obama plans to name Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough as his chief of staff early next week, a senior Democratic source tells Fox News.

The chief of staff slot is expected to open now that Jack Lew has been nominated to head the Treasury Department.

While McDonough has won high marks within the administration for his loyalty to the president and critical work on a range of national security issues, he is not someone with significant experience on domestic issues like immigration reform, gun control and the debt ceiling that will be front and center in the days ahead.

One adviser told Fox News that McDonough has few relationships with lawmakers outside of the foreign policy arena, which could affect the White House's ability to move its agenda in the weeks ahead.

McDonough, however, is a former aide to former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle so he does have some relationships on the Hill.

Plus a senior Democratic source said Rob Nabors, the current White House liaison to Congress who was instrumental in the fiscal crisis deal, is in line to be named a deputy chief of staff.

Nabors would be McDonough's deputy chief of staff for policy, a powerful behind the scenes post previously held by Nancy-Ann DeParle. DeParle announced last week she is leaving after it was revealed that Chief of Staff Lew had been nominated for Treasury.

Moving Nabors into this new role in the chief of staff's office would be important because he does have extensive ties on Capitol Hill and could be a strong complement on the domestic side to McDonough's long experience on the national security side.

In addition, with the ongoing questions of diversity in the administration, Nabors is already one of the most prominent black staffers in the administration and could be taking on an even bigger role.