Gene Sperling

Gene B. Sperling served in the Clinton administration as the President’s National Economic Adviser and Director of the National Economic Council. Mr. Sperling was the third person to hold the role of chief economic adviser in the White House, following Robert Rubin and Laura Tyson. Mr. Sperling, who served as either National Economic Adviser or as Deputy NEC Director for all eight years, was called by Mr. Clinton “the MVP” of the economic team. As Director of the NEC, Mr. Sperling was responsible for coordinating the economic cabinet member’s recommendations to the president on domestic and international economic issues. Mr. Sperling coordinated the President’s Social Security and deficit reduction efforts, and played a key role in such initiatives as the 1993 Deficit Reduction Act, the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, the GEAR UP initiative and securing debt relief for poor countries Mr. Sperling also served a principal negotiator for the 1997 Balanced Budget Agreement, and together with United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky, successfully concluded the historic China-WTO agreement in Beijing. He also served as a top economic adviser for the 2004 Kerry/Edwards presidential campaign. Mr. Sperling is currently a contributing editor and columnist for Bloomberg news. He is also Director of the Center on Universal Education at the Council of Foreign Relations; Chair of the US Global Campaign on Education member of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, and has been a contributing writer and consultant on NBC’s the West Wing.

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