WASHINGTON—President Biden is considering Fed Vice Chair
Lael Brainard
as the next head of the National Economic Council, according to administration officials and others familiar with the matter.
A final decision hasn’t been made, the officials said, adding that Mr. Biden is in the process of conducting interviews. Several other contenders are under discussion for the key economic policy-making role, the officials said, including
Sylvia Mathews Burwell,
who led the Office of Management and Budget and the Health and Human Services Department during the
Obama
administration. Ms. Burwell has been the president of American University since 2017.
Ms. Brainard declined to comment through a spokeswoman.
It is unclear when Mr. Biden will make a final decision, but it could be announced in the coming weeks, some of the people familiar with the matter said.
The NEC director serves as the top economic adviser to the president and plays a central role in shaping a range of policy decisions.
Brian Deese,
Mr. Biden’s current NEC director, is planning to step down after more than two years in the position, the people said. He hasn’t set a date for leaving the administration, one of the administration officials said. The Washington Post earlier reported that Ms. Brainard was a serious contender to replace him.
Mr. Deese has been a driving force in negotiations with Capitol Hill on key legislative priorities, and has helped the president navigate high rates of inflation and supply-chain challenges during the first two years of his administration.
Other candidates for the job include:
Bharat Ramamurti,
deputy NEC director, and Gene Sperling, a top adviser to Mr. Biden who twice led the NEC during previous Democratic administrations. Deputy Treasury Secretary
Wally Adeyemo
and Commerce Secretary
Gina Raimondo
have been floated as other possible contenders, but neither of them are said to be pursuing the job, some of the people said.
—Nick Timiraos contributed to this article.
Write to Andrew Restuccia at andrew.restuccia@wsj.com and Ken Thomas at ken.thomas@wsj.com
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
WASHINGTON—President Biden is considering Fed Vice Chair
Lael Brainard
as the next head of the National Economic Council, according to administration officials and others familiar with the matter.
A final decision hasn’t been made, the officials said, adding that Mr. Biden is in the process of conducting interviews. Several other contenders are under discussion for the key economic policy-making role, the officials said, including
Sylvia Mathews Burwell,
who led the Office of Management and Budget and the Health and Human Services Department during the
Obama
administration. Ms. Burwell has been the president of American University since 2017.
Ms. Brainard declined to comment through a spokeswoman.
It is unclear when Mr. Biden will make a final decision, but it could be announced in the coming weeks, some of the people familiar with the matter said.
The NEC director serves as the top economic adviser to the president and plays a central role in shaping a range of policy decisions.
Brian Deese,
Mr. Biden’s current NEC director, is planning to step down after more than two years in the position, the people said. He hasn’t set a date for leaving the administration, one of the administration officials said. The Washington Post earlier reported that Ms. Brainard was a serious contender to replace him.
Mr. Deese has been a driving force in negotiations with Capitol Hill on key legislative priorities, and has helped the president navigate high rates of inflation and supply-chain challenges during the first two years of his administration.
Other candidates for the job include:
Bharat Ramamurti,
deputy NEC director, and Gene Sperling, a top adviser to Mr. Biden who twice led the NEC during previous Democratic administrations. Deputy Treasury Secretary
Wally Adeyemo
and Commerce Secretary
Gina Raimondo
have been floated as other possible contenders, but neither of them are said to be pursuing the job, some of the people said.
—Nick Timiraos contributed to this article.
Write to Andrew Restuccia at andrew.restuccia@wsj.com and Ken Thomas at ken.thomas@wsj.com
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8