COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS
Chair Christina Romer
Romer’s job is one of the most crucial – and closely scrutinized — in the Obama administration. In addition to appraising economic trends, she is charged with developing analyses and policies that, in these trying times, will increase the nation’s employment, production, and purchasing power. Romer must also appraise the federal government role in achieving these goals and provide the president with studies, reports and legislative recommendations. A former student of Larry Summers and University of California at Berkeley professor who specialized in the Great Depression, she played a key role in crafting Obama’s economic recovery plan. She freely acknowledges the road ahead will be bumpy, but feels confident the administration is on the right course.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson
The former first female and first African American to serve as the New Jersey governor’s chief of staff takes the helm at the EPA during a period when alternative energy solutions offer the promise of helping to jumpstart the nation’s economy. Her 20 years of experience as an environmental regulator puts her in a pivotal position as Congress begins to debate the merits of cap and trade carbon emissions.
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Director Peter Orszag
Orszag has been an OMB director focusing on healthcare policy since 2007, which makes him a particularly valuable member of an administration that has made healthcare reform a cornerstone of its economic reform policies. His expertise will be key in moving forward Obama’s goal to expand coverage while simultaneously containing costs. Orszag blogs regularly on the OMB Web site, addressing a broad range of issues from the fiscal impact of winding down a war to the administration’s proposals to reduce healthcare costs.
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Deputy Director Rob Nabors
Nabors has returned to OMB after a stint as staff director of the House appropriations committee. He first worked there during the Clinton administration. This combined experience makes him particularly qualified and he has a reputation for having an exceptional command for the numbers. In addition to helping shepherd Obama’s budget through Congress, Nabors is also charged with providing oversight to agencies and states on federal stimulus spending, of which approximately $51 billion of the money in grants, loans and contracts has been obligated so far.