President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. introduced key members of his economic team on Tuesday, as he prepares to assume the White House at a …
President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. introduced key members of his economic team on Tuesday, as he prepares to assume the White House at a moment when the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is slowing and millions remain out of work. Mr. Biden, speaking at an event in Delaware, said he was building “a first-rate team that’s going to get us through this ongoing economic crisis.” The president-elect called on Congress to pass a “robust” rescue package to help households, businesses and state and local governments, saying many communities are “teetering on the edge.” Mr. Biden is poised to enter the White House at a time of national crisis amid the worsening virus outbreak. The Department of Labor and Department of Commerce have reported an increase in applications for state jobless benefits and a decrease in personal income. Coronavirus cases have soared in recent weeks, a development that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell called “concerning” in testimony before lawmakers on Tuesday, saying it “could prove challenging in the next few months.” In a sign of how critical a role economic policy will play in the Biden administration, the President-elect said he was returning the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers to a cabinet-level position. President Trump had demoted the C.E.A. chair during his administration. Mr. Biden has chosen Cecilia Rouse to lead the Council of Economic Advisers; she would be the first Black woman in the role.
