Biden-Harris team taps DDM, OSTP director
By
Natalie Alms
Biden's Cabinet will be the first to include a "Presidential Science Advisor," Dr. Eric Lander, who Biden nominated to serve as OSTP director.
On Friday, President-elect Joe Biden announced Jason Miller, a former Obama administration official, as his nominee for the Deputy Director for Management (DDM) at the Office of Management and Budget. Miller will first have to undergo the Senate confirmation process to get to his post.
The position is a top management role, and whoever is in the job will work on workforce and technology issues. The federal CIO reports directly to the DDM.
Miller has already been leading the agency review team focused on the United States Trade Representative for the incoming Biden-Harris administration.
During his last stint in the White House, he was Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council. Miller led the administration's economic policy development and coordinated on issues like manufacturing, transportation, infrastructure and Puerto Rico policy.
Since then, he worked as the CEO of the Greater Washington Partnership, a nonprofit civic alliance of businesses.
Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, praised the choice, saying that Miller brings with him a "deep understanding of the federal government and how it should work."
"His expertise will be invaluable in developing a strong management agenda to help President Biden effectively implement his ambitious policy agenda," Stier said.
The Biden-Harris team also announced names for other top positions. The President-elect nominated Dr. Eric Lander, another Obama administration alumnus, to be the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. That position is also Senate-confirmed.
As OSTP director, Lander will be charged with advising the president on science and technology policies and programs.
He will also serve as the first ever "Presidential Science Advisor" in the Biden Cabinet. The press release announcing the post said that "the president-elect is elevating the role of science within the White House." Biden faces a mounting pandemic crisis when he comes into office and follows an outgoing president who publically showed his distrust in his top scientific officials.