Obama Taps Princeton Professor Behind Stimulus as Chief Economist

On Monday, President Barack Obama nominated Princeton University Professor Jason Furman to chair the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA).

“Furman is one of the most brilliant economic minds of his generation,” Obama said. “Don’t take my word for it, you can talk to other economists who know a lot more than I do about it.”

Furman, who holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University, was the driving force behind Obama’s 2009 stimulus plan, his 2012 income tax hike, and the president’s jobs plans. Furman, 42, also previously served in the Clinton White House and was an adviser at the World Bank.

As one unnamed White House official told Reuters, “Furman has been a key adviser to the president and has contributed to most every major proposal on jobs and the economy.”

During a White House ceremony today, Obama lauded Furman as a man who helped in “averting a second Depression” and as one who “worked tirelessly” in “fighting for tax cuts that help millions of working families make ends meet” and “creating new incentives for businesses to hire.”