Susan M. Collins was interviewed on NPR's Tell Me More about President Obama's choice of labor economist Alan Krueger to chair the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
Collins considers Krueger "an excellent choice" and described him as a highly respected labor market expert and a strong communicator.
Collins was asked to comment on whether Krueger's expertise might appease critics who say that the Obama Administration has not done enough to create jobs, which has particularly hurt lower-income African-American communities. "He has spent a lot of his career focusing on issues related broadly to the toll that unemployment takes, and he has worked on racial income gaps and the importance of supporting lower-income Americans," replied Collins. "We're likely to see more attention to these issues with him in that role."
[Listen to the interview.]