Biden names Fed’s Brainard as top economic adviser, Bernstein to head CEA

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden named Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard to head the National Economic Council (NEC), replacing Brian Deese.

In a statement, the White House said Biden also intended to nominate his trusted confidant Jared Bernstein, who already serves on the Council of Economic Advisers, to chair the advisory panel and serve as the chief White House economist.

Biden also named Bharat Ramamurti, currently deputy director of the NEC, to also serve as an adviser for strategic economic communications, and CEA member Heather Boushey to also serve as chief economist to his “Invest in America” cabinet.

The Labor Department’s chief economist, Joelle Gamble, was named one of Brainard’s deputies.

The statement included no mention of a potential replacement for Brainard at the Fed, or an additional senior economist for the CEA.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Andrea Ricci)