Fiscal Policy Advice for Joe Biden and Congress

When Joe Biden takes office, he will confront unusually challenging economic circumstances: a persistent pandemic, an economy far short of full employment, and federal debt at historic highs. How much, how soon, and in what form should Congress enact additional fiscal support for the economy? How worried should we be about the high and rising federal debt at a time of low interest rates? What should the new president’s fiscal priorities be?

The Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings and the Peterson Institute for International Economics will offer answers to these and other fiscal questions from a distinguished set of fiscal policy veterans. Wendy Edelberg of Brookings, Douglas Elmendorf of Harvard Kennedy School, and Michael Strain of AEI will discuss near-term fiscal policy. Then former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers and Jason Furman of Harvard will present a paper discussing federal debt in an era of low interest rates. Their presentation will be followed by discussion with former Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke, Olivier Blanchard of the Peterson Institute, and Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard.

Viewers may submit questions to [email protected] or on Twitter using #FiscalPolicy.

Welcome

Adam Posen, President, Peterson Institute for International Economics
David Wessel, Director and Senior Fellow, Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, Brookings

COVID-19 and the Near Term

Wendy Edelberg, Director and Senior Fellow, The Hamilton Project, Brookings
Douglas Elmendorf, Dean and Don K. Price Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
Michael Strain, Director of Economic Policy Studies & Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy, AEI
Moderated by Adam Posen, President, Peterson Institute for International Economics

What about the Federal Debt?

Presentation

Jason Furman, Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
Lawrence Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus, Harvard University

Discussion

Ben Bernanke, Distinguished Fellow in Residence, Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy, Brookings
Olivier Blanchard, C. Fred Bergsten Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
Jason Furman, Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
Kenneth Rogoff, Professor of Economics and Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University
Lawrence Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus, Harvard University
Moderated by Louise Sheiner, Policy Director and Senior Fellow, Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, Brookings

To RSVP, please contact the Brookings Office of Communications at [email protected] or visit: https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch-fiscal-policy-advice-biden-congress