The director of the White House office of Management and Budget, Peter Orszag, can be leaving his post in July. Officials close to Orszag have said he would be leaving for a while, but the July date was only most recently announced to the public. The position of OMB director carries significant power within the White House. Though names are being considered, no solid replacement has been appointed yet.
How Orszag controlled the budget
The director of the OMB is a cabinet-level position within the U.S. government. 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. Two major pieces of legislation that Peter Orszag fought for were the stimulus bill and health care reform.
Peter Orszag’s history of service
Peter Orszag first started working for the White House in 1997. The first job Orszag held was Special Assistant for Economic Policy. From January 2007 to November 2008, Peter Orszag served as head of the Congressional Budget Office. Orszag also serves as the official OMB blogger.
Peter Orszag’s replacement?
The White House has not put out any names of who could be replacing Peter Orszag. Some names, though, have been floated. It is probably the replacement could be somebody already working within the White House staff. 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.
