Van Hollen Statement in Support of Cecilia Rouse to Serve as Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding his vote to confirm Cecilia Rouse to serve as Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors:

“I strongly support the nomination of Cecilia Rouse to chair the Council of Economic Advisors. Dr. Rouse’s career has focused on strengthening labor markets for American workers, improving our education system, and addressing the structural inequities that stand in the way of making the economy work for all Americans. She brings exactly the right experience and expertise that we need to help our nation and our state weather the economic storm caused by the pandemic and build back better.

“Dr. Rouse was one of the clearest voices on the problem of long-term unemployment following the last recession. The discussions that my colleagues and I have already had with Dr. Rouse make clear that she remains focused on helping workers who lost their jobs get back to work as the economy recovers, and going forward, on preventing the problem of chronic long-term unemployment that we saw even before the pandemic.

“Dr. Rouse is the first African American and the fourth woman to lead the Council of Economic Advisors in its 74-year history. She has been a strong leader in academia and government, and I was proud to vote in support of her confirmation.”