In a recently released letter to the Senate Banking Committee, prominent economists including Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers of the Ford School, have urged the confirmation of American Enterprise Institute (AEI) scholar Kevin Hassett, President Trump’s pick to lead the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
“While the signers of this letter hold a range of views on President Trump’s policies,” they wrote, “we all believe that the formulation of economic policy would be advanced by the analysis and advice that Dr. Hassett would bring to the table.”
Prior to his work at AEI, Hassett served as a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and as an associate professor of economics and finance at Columbia University. He has also served as a policy consultant for the Department of Treasury and as an economic advisor to a number of presidential candidates.
The economists praised Hassett’s scholarship on tax policy, business investment, and energy, as well as his efforts to engage with scholars across the political and ideological spectrum. “[W]e appreciate that Dr. Hassett has consistently made an effort to reach out to a wide range of people from across the ideological spectrum both to promote economic dialogue and to collaborate on research and public policy proposals,” they wrote.
For more, read:
- “Economists support Trump’s pick to lead White House economic council,” by Vicki Needham for The Hill.
- “Obama economists back Trump nominee Kevin Hassett,” by Joseph Lawler for The Washington Examiner.
- “Economists for Hassett,” by Ben White and Aubree Eliza Weaver for Politico.