Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
Press
Contact: Leslie Phillips
(202) 224-2627
May 12, 2009
CASS SUNSTEIN APPEARS BEFORE HSGAC
Nominee to be Administrator for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
| WASHINGTON – The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, led by Chairman Joseph I. Lieberman, ID-Conn. and Ranking Member Susan Collins, R-Me., Tuesday heard testimony from Cass R. Sunstein, nominee to be Administrator for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). “In Professor Cass Sunstein, the President has found someone with exceptional qualifications and extraordinary talent, capable of leading OIRA in a positive direction to strengthen the new Administration’s efforts and fulfill Congress’ intentions,” Lieberman said. “Prior to joining the faculty of Harvard Law School, Professor Sunstein had taught at the University of Chicago Law School since 1981, where he wrote extensively about regulation, the management of risk and OIRA itself.” Collins said: “Professor Sunstein is a prolific author who has conducted an extensive study of government regulation and of the various methods that can be used to evaluate regulatory effectiveness. If confirmed, however, he steps from the world of theory into the realm of practice, where not every idea discussed in the classroom can be easily turned into government policy – nor should it be. This can be a challenging transition for those leaving the academic realm for the world of the executive branch where their views and decisions have real consequences.” Sunstein founded the Program on Risk Regulation at Harvard Law School, which focuses on risk reduction in a variety of policy areas. His research has also focused on behavioral economics, transparency and information disclosure and how to use the internet to obtain and distribute information. Sunstein next must be reported out of the Committee before the full Senate can vote on his confirmation. |
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May 2009 Majority News
| Current record |