Mediaboss Marketing

Economists who served in the administration of Barack Obama have endorsed President Trump's selection for top economic adviser, telling senators that his advice to the president will be helpful regardless of his political views.

Forty-four economists signed a letter Monday endorsing conservative economist Kevin Hassett to serve as chairman of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers ahead of his confirmation hearing.

Several of the signers played a key role in shaping Obama's policies, including Christina Romer, who chaired the council and helped devise Obama's 2009 stimulus measure; Peter Orszag, the budget director who played a major role in the healthcare legislation; and Jason Furman, who chaired the council at the end the Obama administration. Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve who was re-appointed by Obama, also signed the letter.

"While we disagree on many issues, as economists we all agree that the Nation would be well served if Kevin Hassett is confirmed as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers," wrote the group, which also included several prominent right-leaning academics, think tank scholars, and former officials in Republican administrations.

Hassett is scheduled to go before the Senate Banking Committee for a confirmation hearing Tuesday morning.

A scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, Hassett has long advocated free-market policies. In some areas, he has stood behind positions that are at odds with the populist, nationalist policies espoused by Trump. For instance, he has argued for liberalizing trade. Hassett has also suggested that the U.S. should increase immigration levels.

The authors of Monday's letter also commended Hassett for reaching across the aisle. He has "consistently made an effort to reach out to a wide range of people from across the ideological spectrum ... to promote economic dialogue," they wrote.

As the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, Hassett would be responsible for providing economic forecasts to the president and for giving him feedback from an economic perspective on policy options. Trump already has a powerful economics adviser involved in the legislative process in his director of the National Economic Council, former Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn.

See more here:
Obama economists back Trump nominee Kevin Hassett - Washington Examiner