In July, White House Office of Management and Budget director Peter Orszag could be leaving his post. Officials close to Orszag have said he would be leaving for a while, but the July date was only just lately announced to the public. The White House OMB director carries significant financial and political clout within the government. Though names are being considered, no solid replacement has been appointed yet.
How Orszag controlled the budget
As head of the Office of Management and Budget, Peter Orszag has held a cabinet-level position. The OMB is charged with creating the annual White House budget that is sent to Congress. The Congressional Budget Office also receives support from the OMB, when requested. While in the position of spending budget head, Peter Orszag championed two major pieces of legislation — the stimulus bill and health care reform.
Peter Orszag first started working for the White House in 1997. The first job Orszag held was Special Assistant for Economic Policy. Orszag served as Congressional Budget Office head from January 2007 to November 2008. Orszag also serves as the official OMB blogger.
Who’ll be the replacement for Peter Orszag?
The White House has not put out any names of who might be replacing Peter Orszag. However, political watchers have been throwing names around already. More likely than not, Peter Orszag’s replacement could be someone already within the White House. Some point to Rob Nabors, who has just lately been attending senior staff meetings at the White House and acted as Orszag’s right-hand person from ‘96 to ‘98. Some people have also suggested individuals already working on the Treasury board or Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Whoever this new budget guru is going to be, they are going to face tough challenges and lots of political pressure.
