November 25: CBO Director Orszag Resigns; Sunshine Becomes Acting Director

Congressional Budget Office Director Peter Orszag today announced his resignation from the agency. Orszag, the agency's seventh Director, tendered his resignation following President-elect Barack Obama's statement earlier in the day that he intends to nominate Orszag to the Cabinet-level position of Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Dr. Orszag began his tenure as CBO Director in January 2007. Under his leadership, the agency has significantly expanded its focus on areas such as health care and climate change. Before joining CBO, Orszag was the Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution. In previous government service, Orszag served as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Senior Economic Adviser at the National Economic Council during 1997 and 1998.

Following Orszag's resignation, CBO's Deputy Director, Robert Sunshine, will serve as Acting Director until a successor is appointed. Sunshine became Deputy Director in 2007 following eight years as Assistant Director for Budget Analysis, in which capacity he oversaw much of the work of the agency. He has been with CBO nearly since its inception.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate jointly appoint the CBO Director after considering recommendations received from the chairmen of the House and Senate Budget Committees.

CBO supports the Budget Committees, and the Congress more generally, by providing budgetary information and policy analysis in an objective and nonpartisan manner.