{{ Orszag was director of the Congressional Budget Office from January 2007 to November 2008. During his tenure, he repeatedly drew attention to the role rising health care expenditures were likely to play in the government’s long-term fiscal problems—and, by extension, the nation’s long-term economic problems. “I have not viewed CBO’s job as just to passively evaluate what Congress proposes, but rather to be an analytical resource. And part of that is to highlight things that are true and that people may not want to hear, including that we need to address health-care costs.”[20] During his time at the CBO, he added 20 full-time health analysts (bringing the total number to 50), thereby strengthening the CBO’s analytical capabilities and preparing Congress for health-care reform.[20]
He was widely praised for his time at CBO for preparing the agency for the debates to come. When he stepped down, National Journal noted that “Orszag, who will turn 40 on Dec. 16, has been praised by lawmakers from both parties as an objective analyst with deep knowledge of the most pressing fiscal issues of the day, including health care policy, Social Security, pensions, and global climate change. He is the unusual economist who blends an understanding of politics, policy and communications in ways that wrap zesty quotes around complex ideas.”
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