Baucus Applauds Committee Approval of Jack Lew to be Treasury Secretary

Finance Committee Also Approves General Counsel Nominees for Treasury and HHS

Washington – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) today applauded the committee’s overwhelming approval of  Jacob “Jack” Lew to serve as Treasury secretary by a vote of 19 to 5. 

“We need strong leadership at the Treasury Department to help tackle the many economic challenges facing our nation.  Jack Lew has the experience and knowledge to help get the economy back on track.  When he oversaw the nation’s budget during the Clinton Administration, he helped the U.S. build up a budget surplus – he knows how to get our fiscal house in order,” Senator Baucus said. “I’m hopeful the Senate will quickly confirm Mr. Lew so he can get to work, helping strengthen the economy.”

After an extensive review process, the committee considered Lew’s nomination in a hearing on February 13. In the period following the hearing, Lew answered an additional 738 questions and sub-questions in a thorough and fully-transparent manner.

Lew was most recently the White House chief of staff.  He has also served as director of the Office of Management and Budget in the current administration and under President Clinton, notably the last time the nation’s federal budget was balanced.  Lew has also served in the U.S. Department of State as deputy secretary for management and resources.

The committee also approved the nominations of William Schultz to be general counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Christopher Meade to be general counsel of the Department of the Treasury.  Senator Baucus held hearings to consider their nominations in December.  Meade and Schultz were both renominated for the general counsel positions in January.

“These nominees will provide valuable experience in helping shape and implement sound economic and health policy,” Senator Baucus said. “Christopher Meade’s judgment and knowledge of the law will serve him well at Treasury as it works to get our economy back on track.  William Schultz will play an important role at HHS as it implements the Affordable Care Act and works to make our health care system more efficient and affordable.”

William Schultz joined HHS in 2011 as the principal deputy general counsel and is currently serving in the role of acting general counsel.  He has also served as the deputy assistant attorney general for the Civil Division at the U.S. Department of Justice and as deputy commissioner for policy at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the Clinton Administration.  Prior to joining the FDA, Schultz worked as an attorney in the private sector and has previously served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center.  He received his B.A. from Yale University and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Christopher Meade joined the Treasury Department in 2010 as principal deputy general counsel and is currently serving as acting general counsel.  Meade was a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals and has experience in the private sector as a litigation and securities attorney.  He received his A.B. from Princeton University and his J.D. from New York University School of Law.

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