President Joe Biden will announce Monday that Gene Sperling, a former top economic official in the last two Democratic presidential administrations, will serve as the point person in overseeing the implementation of the newly signed $1.9 trillion Covid relief law, according to two people briefed on the plan and a senior administration official.
Biden will announce Sperling’s appointment at the White House Monday afternoon during remarks about implementation of the law, according to the senior administration official.
Sperling’s mandate will be to get money out the door quickly and maximize its impact, the people said, while also serving as the lead official in partnership with state and local officials on the receiving end of billions of dollars from the law.
He will serve as the lead in advising and ensuring local officials get what they need, while also holding them accountable for any mismanagement of funds, the individuals briefed on the plan said.
Sperling has spent more than a decade at the highest levels of government, twice serving as the director of the National Economic Council, and will be tasked with ensuring all aspects of the sweeping relief law are put into place as designed.
“There’s no one who knows how the federal government works better than Gene Sperling, and there’s no one better qualified to take charge of the implementation of the Rescue Plan and make sure it delivers for the American people,” the senior administration official said, noting that Sperling has spent more than a decade in top government roles. “He has a track record of translating complex policies into tangible results for working and middle class families.”
The official noted Sperling’s experience in helping to implement the auto bailout and aid to small businesses during the Great Recession.
Sperling’s name was added to the mix as officials at the White House were discussing possible replacements for Neera Tanden after she withdrew her nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget, according to a source familiar with the matter.
While vice president, Biden served in a similar implementation role overseeing the rollout of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.