View source for National Economic Council

{{Use American English|date = February 2019}}
{{Short description|US federal government body chaired by the President for consideration of economic issues}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2019}}
{{about||another similarly sounding agency within the U.S. federal government|Council of Economic Advisers|identically titled councils in other countries|National Economic Council (disambiguation){{!}}National Economic Council}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name     = National Economic Council
| seal            = Seal of the Executive Office of the President of the United States 2014.svg|
| formed          = January 25, 1993
| headquarters    = [[Eisenhower Executive Office Building]]
| employees       = 25
| chief1_name     = [[Lael Brainard]]
| chief1_position = Director
| parent_agency   = [[White House Office|Office of Policy Development]], [[Executive Office of the President of the United States]]
| website         = [https://www.whitehouse.gov/nec/ National Economic Council Website]
}}
The '''National Economic Council''' ('''NEC''') is the principal forum used by the [[president of the United States]] for the consideration of domestic and international [[economic policy]] matters with senior policymaking and [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]] officials, and forms part of the [[White House Office|Office of Policy Development]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=The National Economic Council |url=https://www.manufacturing.gov/partners/national-economic-council |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926055557/https://www.manufacturing.gov/partners/national-economic-council |archive-date=2022-09-26 |access-date=2022-01-19 |website=Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office}}</ref> which is within the [[Executive Office of the President of the United States]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Federal Register :: Agencies - National Economic Council|url=https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/national-economic-council}}</ref>  

Since the creation of the National Economic Council on January 25, 1993, its purpose is to coordinate domestic and international economic policy-making decisions; to advise the president on economic policy, with respect to domestic and international economic policy matters; to coordinate with various [[Agencies of the United States government|agencies]] across the [[Federal government of the United States|federal government]] to establish consistent policy with the president's stated goals; and monitor the implementation of the economic agenda of the president. 

The National Economic Council differs from the [[United States Domestic Policy Council|Domestic Policy Council]], as it considers economic policy matters, while the Domestic Policy Council may consider anything which is related to domestic matters, with the exception of economic policy matters. It also differs from the [[Council of Economic Advisers]], which provides research for the White House based on data, research, and evidence. The Council is also the principal arm of the president when coordinating his economic policies and goals among various other agencies.

The National Economic Council is headed by the assistant to the president for economic policy and director of the National Economic Council. Since February 21, 2023, that position has been held by [[Lael Brainard]]. 

[[File:Barack Obama meets with Bill Daley, Mark Zuckerman, Gene Sperling, Lael Brainard and Neal S. Wolin, 2011.jpg|thumb|[[Barack Obama]] meets with [[William M. Daley]], Mark Zuckerman, [[Gene Sperling]], [[Lael Brainard]] and [[Neal S. Wolin]], 2011]]

==History and mission==
The National Economic Council<ref>{{Cite web|title=National Economic Council|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/nec/|access-date=2022-01-19|website=The White House|language=en-US}}</ref> was created on January 25, 1993 by [[Executive order|Executive Order]] [[wikisource:Executive_Order_12835|12835]] by President [[Bill Clinton]], officially to coordinate the economic policy-making process with respect to domestic and international economic issues; to coordinate economic policy advice to the president; to ensure that economic policy decisions and programs are consistent with the president's stated goals, and to ensure that those goals are being effectively pursued; and to monitor implementation of the president's economic policy agenda.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-02-02|title=Should you be the next Larry Summers? {{!}} Fortune.com|url=http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/22/should-you-be-the-next-larry-summers/#more-3151|access-date=2022-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202070321/http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/22/should-you-be-the-next-larry-summers/#more-3151 |archive-date=February 2, 2017 }}</ref> Clinton appointed [[Robert Rubin]] as assistant to the president for economic policy and director of the National Economic Council on January 25, 1993, the same day as the creation of the Council. The creation of the council also fulfilled a major promise by President Bill Clinton, to make the [[economy of the United States]] a priority.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-04-21|title=The National Economic Council: A Work in Progress|url=https://www.piie.com/bookstore/national-economic-council-work-progress|access-date=2022-01-19|website=PIIE|language=en}}</ref>

Prior to the creation of the National Economic Council, economic policy staff had existed since the 1960s. President Lyndon B. Johnson assigned a senior aide to develop and organize domestic policy, of which economic policy was included. In 1970, President [[Richard M. Nixon]] issued an executive order which created the Office of Policy Development. President Clinton split the responsibilities of the Domestic Policy Council with the National Economic Council.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Domestic Policy Council|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/dpc/|access-date=2022-01-19|website=The White House|language=en-US}}</ref>

The Council is considered an important tool for presidential administrations to use to achieve their domestic, and international economic goals. Robert Rubin said that the purpose for the creation of the Council was to "fix a process problem" and according to Rubin, Clinton said that he believed that he needed to find "some process instrument" which would be able to perform the role and function necessary to advance the president's agenda, and allow agencies to deliberate, coordinate, and solve matters of economic importance. Rubin states another reason Clinton established the Council was "“integrate domestic and international economic policy and. . .integrate international economic policy and so-called foreign policy.” Instead of having two domestic and international domestic staff, the council would blend the two together.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The National Economic Council, The White House Transition Project.|url=https://whitehousetransitionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/WHTP2021-35-National-Economic-Council.pdf}}</ref>

== Structure and membership ==
Additional members are added by the president of the United States, however the structure and membership of the National Economic Council, which is similar to that of the [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]], is as follows:<ref>{{Cite web|title=National Economic Council Membership, U.S Government Manual.|url=https://www.usgovernmentmanual.gov/Agency?EntityId=a+qIOj6iCK0=&ParentEId=9QWs93j9/oI=&EType=F2blCKa+e1g=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The National Economic Council, The White House Transition Project.|url=https://whitehousetransitionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/WHTP2021-35-National-Economic-Council.pdf}}</ref>

[[File:President George W. Bush takes a few questions from the media during a meeting with the National Economic Council in the Cabinet Room.jpg|thumb|President George W. Bush meets with his economic advisors on February 25, 2003.]]

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Structure and membership of the United States National Economic Council {{small|({{as of|2024|3|df=US}})}}
|-
! Chair
| [[Joe Biden]] ([[President of the United States|President]])
|-
! Director
| [[Lael Brainard]] (assistant to the president for economic policy)
|-
! rowspan="4"| Deputy Director 
| [[Brendan Danaher]] (deputy assistant to the president and deputy director, National Economic Council)
|-
| [[Navtej Dhillon]] (deputy assistant to the president and deputy director, National Economic Council)
|-
| [[Jon Donenberg]] (deputy assistant to the president and deputy director, National Economic Council)
|-
| [[Daniel Hornung]] (deputy assistant to the president and deputy director, National Economic Council)
|-
! Regular attendees
| {{plainlist|
*[[Kamala Harris]] ([[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]])
*Antony Blinken ([[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]])
*[[Janet Yellen]] ([[United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury]])
*[[Jared Bernstein]] (Chair of the [[Council of Economic Advisers]])
*[[Gina Raimondo]] ([[United States Secretary of Commerce|Secretary of Commerce]])
*[[Julie Su]] (Acting [[United States Secretary of Labor|Secretary of Labor]])
*[[Adrianne Todman]] (Acting [[United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development|Secretary of Housing and Urban Development]])
*[[Pete Buttigieg]] ([[United States Secretary of Transportation|Secretary of Transportation]])
*[[Jennifer Granholm]] ([[United States Secretary of Energy|Secretary of Energy]])
*[[Xavier Becerra]] ([[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|Secretary of Health and Human Services]])
}}
|-
! Additional participants
| {{plainlist|
*[[Isabella C. Guzman]] ([[Administrator of the Small Business Administration]])
*[[Michael S. Regan]] ([[Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency]])
*[[Shalanda Young]] ([[Director of the Office of Management and Budget]])
*[[Katherine Tai]] ([[United States Trade Representative]])
*[[Neera Tanden]] ([[United States Domestic Policy Council|Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy]])
*[[Jake Sullivan]] ([[Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs]])
}}
|}

[[File:Barack Obama meets with advisors in the Oval Office, Aug. 10, 2012.jpg|thumb|[[Barack Obama]] meets with advisors in the Oval Office, Aug. 10, 2012]]

== Directors of the National Economic Council==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!class=unsortable |Image
!colspan=2 |Name
!Start
!End
!colspan=2 |President
|-
|[[File:Pr4262ls-treasury-rubin.jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Bob|Rubin|Robert Rubin}}
|{{sort|1993-01-25|January 25, 1993}}
|{{sort|1995-01-11|January 11, 1995}}
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[Bill Clinton]]
|-
|[[File:Laura tyson.jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Laura|Tyson}}
|{{sort|1995-02-21|February 21, 1995}}
|{{sort|1996-12-12|December 12, 1996}}
|-
|[[File:Gene Sperling (National Economic Council) (cropped).jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Gene|Sperling}}
|{{sort|1996-12-12|December 12, 1996}}
|{{sort|2001-01-20|January 20, 2001}}
|-
|[[File:Governor Lawrence B Lindsey 140501.jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Larry|Lindsey|Lawrence B. Lindsey}}
|{{sort|2001-01-20|January 20, 2001}}
|{{sort|2002-12-12|December 12, 2002}}
|rowspan=4 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=4 |George W. Bush
|-
|[[File:Stephen Friedman (cropped).jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Steve|Friedman|Stephen Friedman (PFIAB)}}
|{{sort|2002-12-12|December 12, 2002}}
|{{sort|2005-01-10|January 10, 2005}}
|-
|[[File:Allan B. Hubbard.jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Allan|Hubbard|Allan B. Hubbard}}
|{{sort|2005-01-10|January 10, 2005}}
|{{sort|2007-11-28|November 28, 2007}}
|-
|[[File:Keith Hennessey.jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Keith|Hennessey}}
|{{sort|2007-11-28|November 28, 2007}}
|{{sort|2009-01-20|January 20, 2009}}
|-
|[[File:Lawrence Summers 2012.jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Larry|Summers|Lawrence Summers}}
|{{sort|2009-01-20|January 20, 2009}}
|{{sort|2011-01-20|January 20, 2011}}
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[Barack Obama]]
|-
|[[File:Gene Sperling (National Economic Council) (cropped).jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Gene|Sperling}}
|{{sort|2011-01-20|January 20, 2011}}
|{{sort|2014-03-05|March 5, 2014}}
|-
|[[File:Jeffrey Zients official portrait.jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Jeff|Zients|Jeffrey Zients}}
|{{sort|2014-03-05|March 5, 2014}}
|{{sort|2017-01-20|January 20, 2017}}
|-
|[[File:Gary Cohn at Regional Media Day (cropped).png|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Gary|Cohn}}
|{{sort|2017-01-20|January 20, 2017}}
|{{sort|2018-04-02|April 2, 2018}}
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |[[Donald Trump]]
|-
|[[File:White House Press Briefing (50322465258) (cropped).jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Larry|Kudlow}}
|{{sort|2018-04-02|April 2, 2018}}
|{{sort|2021-01-20|January 20, 2021}}
|-
|[[File:Brian Deese official portrait.jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Brian|Deese}}
|{{sort|2021-01-20|January 20, 2021}}
|{{sort|2023-02-21|February 21, 2023}}
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |[[Joe Biden]]
|-
|[[File:Lael Brainard (14438068496).jpg|50px]]
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Lael|Brainard}}
|{{sort|2023-02-21|February 21, 2023}}
|present
|}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*Sarah Rosen Wartell. [http://images2.americanprogress.org/CAPAF/2008/changeforamerica/WhiteHouse_03_Wartell.pdf "The White House: National Economic Council."] In ''Change for America: A Progressive Blueprint for the 44th President.'' Edited by Mark Green and Michele Jolin, pp.&nbsp;15–22. Washington: The Center for American Progress Action Fund, 2008.

==External links==
*[https://www.whitehouse.gov/nec/ National Economic Council] ([https://www.whitehouse.gov/nec/ Archive])

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[[Category:Economy of the United States]]
[[Category:Executive Office of the President of the United States]]
[[Category:United States economic policy]]
[[Category:United States national commissions]]