Obama Taps Furman to Lead Council of Economic Advisers
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Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(WASHINGTON) — President Obama on Monday nominated longtime economic adviser Jason Furman as chairman of his Council of Economic Advisers, calling him “one of the most brilliant economic minds of his generation.”
“When the stakes are highest, there’s no one I’d rather turn to for straightforward, unvarnished advice that helps me to do my job,” the president said as he stood alongside Furman at a White House ceremony.
“He understands all sides of an argument, not just one side of it. He’s worked tirelessly on just about every major economic challenge of the past 4 1/2 years, from averting a second Depression, to fighting for tax cuts that help millions of working families make ends meet, to creating new incentives for businesses to hire, to reducing our deficits in a balanced way that benefits the middle class,” he said.
Furman, currently the deputy director of the National Economic Council, has been a part of Obama’s economic team since he joined the campaign in 2008 and has played a role in virtually all of the administration’s major economic policy decisions.
With this promotion, Furman would replace Alan Krueger, becoming one of Obama’s most visible economic advisers.
The president said he has come to trust not only Furman’s head but also his heart, “because Jason never forgets who it is that we’re fighting for: middle-class families, folks who are working hard to climb their way into the middle class, the next generation.”
The president urged the Senate to swiftly confirm Furman.
Obama also thanked Krueger who, after a year and half in the position, is heading back to teach at Princeton.
“I’m sad to see him go, but I know that he will continue to do outstanding work. And fortunately, he’ll still be available for us to consult with him periodically, because he’s a constant font of good ideas about how we can further help the American people,” Obama said.
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