National Journal reports that Barack Obama has selected CBO Director Peter Orszag to head up the Office of Management and Budget. Orszag is widely respected on both sides of the aisle for his professionalism and his command of budgetary detail. The Orszag appointment also suggests that one of Barack Obama’s priorities as president will be controlling health care costs, which Orszag has consistently identified as essential to getting the government’s fiscal house in order. Multiple reports suggest that leading Democratic senators will make health care one of the first issues taken up in the Obama presidency. The Washington Post reported several days ago that the CBO, under Orszag’s direction, is preparing a report on cost-saving health care measures. And that report is attracting the interest of one of the last liberal lions:
Orszag’s pet issue is controlling health care costs; his work is being cited by Kennedy aides as they prepare to introduce Kennedy’s health care reform blueprint. Kennedy is the Senate’s most influential Democrat on health care. Does all this mean that Obama will support Kennedy’s approach?
