Maxwell professor recommended for federal budget post

Maxwell professor recommended for federal budget postJanuary 10, 2003Jill Leonhardtjlleonha@maxwell.syr.edu

House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle has recommended Douglas Holtz-Eakin to serve as director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which provides Congress with analyses, information, and estimates for economic and budget decisions. The Budget Committee will vote on the recommendation later this month and, if approved, it will be sent to the Speaker of the House and Senate President pro tempore for a final decision.

Trustee Professor of Economics Holtz-Eakin has been on leave from the Maxwell School; he has served as chief economist of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers since 2001. He was previously the council’s senior staff economist in 1989-1990 before joining the Maxwell School, and he has also taught at Columbia and Princeton Universities. Holtz-Eakin has served on the Board of Economic Advisers for the New York State Ways and Means Committee, as executive director of New York State’s Tax Study Commission and as a consultant to the States of New Jersey and Arizona. He is on leave as the editor of the National Tax Journal.

“Doug’s knowledge and research have won him wide acclaim as an economist,” says Michael Wasylenko, associate dean and economics professor in the Maxwell School. “His interests and expertise span a broad range of domestic and international policy issues, and Doug feels strongly about contributing to public service. He is able to convey complex ideas in a concise manner, is a first-rate manager, and is respected by staff and superiors alike. This combination makes him an excellent choice to lead the CBO.”

Maxwell Dean John L. Palmer echoes Wasylenko’s assessment. “Doug has a tough job ahead, but he is well suited for the task. Although we hate to lose him for any longer, the CBO job is a great opportunity,” Palmer says.

Syracuse University’s Vice Chancellor and Provost Deborah A. Freund calls Holtz-Eakin “one of our most prized faculty members, both at Maxwell and at SU in general. While he is an internationally known researcher, he also works easily with the business and policy communities. I am very proud that Maxwell will be so well represented on Capitol Hill.”