Senate confirms Cecilia Rouse to be Biden’s top economist

The Senate confirmed President Joe Biden’s nomination of Cecilia Rouse to chair the Council of Economic Advisers. The vote on Tuesday was 95-4.

Rouse, a labor economist and dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, will be the first Black person to serve as the President’s top economist. She previously served as a member of President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers and worked for President Bill Clinton’s National Economic Council.

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said Tuesday that Rouse had spent her career “focusing on workers, and ensuring that this economy works for everyone.”

“Her expertise and leadership will guide this Administration and Congress, as we get to work not only to recover from this pandemic, but to build a better economy for the future,” said Brown. “For too long, American workers haven’t had anyone on their side in the White House. That ends now.”

Jared Bernstein, Biden’s chief economist when he was vice president under Obama, and Heather Boushey, co-founder of the left-leaning Washington Center for Equitable Growth, serve as members on the CEA.