ACCF Conversations with Economic Policy Advisors to Clinton and Trump Presidential Campaigns

As a centerpiece of its 2016 Election Project, the ACCF hosted economic advisors to both of the major presidential campaigns along with business leaders, foreign diplomats and leading journalists to gain insight and offer policy ideas for the 45th presidency.

Left: ACCF President & CEO Mark Bloomfield and Hillary for America Economic Adviser David Kamin  Right: Bloomfield and Trump Campaign Economic Adviser Steve Moore
Left: ACCF President & CEO Mark Bloomfield and Hillary for America Economic Adviser David Kamin
Right: Bloomfield and Trump Campaign Economic Adviser Steve Moore

On October 25, David Kamin, Economic Policy Adviser for Hillary for America, outlined Secretary Clinton’s agenda on economic policy, tax reform, trade and energy policy. ACCF President Mark Bloomfield asked several questions and facilitated dialogue with the media and representatives from the business community. Kamin concurred with Bloomfield’s sentiments on the need for growth in the economy, provided that it was “growth that benefited all Americans.”

On October 26th, the ACCF hosted Steve Moore, Senior Economic Adviser to Donald Trump, who offered the Republican nominee’s vision on strongly growing the economy and addressing the needs of people that have felt left behind and betrayed by the Republican and Democrat establishment. He assured business leaders that Trump’s policies on tax and trade would shore up job losses and offer the type of bold growth needed to revive the economy.

“I applaud the ACCF for its decades of contribution to pro-growth economic policy. I have learned a lot from Mark Bloomfield on the impact of tax policy on the investor, business and, most importantly, on economic growth,” Moore said.

Bloomfield pointed out to both advisors that Wall Street Journal Bureau Chief Jerry Seib was correct in his observation that that corporate America has been an orphan in this election cycle. It needs to engage early on with the next administration on issues like income inequality and economic growth for all Americans while meeting the challenges of an ever-growing global economy.

L to R: Bob Cusack, Editor-in-Chief, The Hill, Greg Ip, Chief Economics Commentator, Wall Street Journal and Dave McCurdy, President of American Gas Association
L to R: Bob Cusack, Editor-in-Chief, The Hill, Greg Ip, Chief Economics Commentator, Wall Street Journal and Dave McCurdy, President of American Gas Association

Both events attracted more than 50 prominent leaders from Washington’s business community representing the financial, insurance, energy, pharmaceutical and real estate sectors, among others. Journalists included reporters from The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, The Hill and McClatchy News Service. Foreign diplomats representing Russia, China, Australia and the IMF were also in attendance.

The bipartisan events are a key component of the ACCF’s 2016 Election Project, which began with the recruitment of six prominent honorary co-chairs, former Democratic and Republican Members of Congress who remain actively involved in US economic policy as nonpartisan business community leaders. They are Ken Bentsen (former Democratic member of the House Budget and Financial Services Committees), Jim Jones (former Democratic Chairman of the House Budget Committee), Jim McCrery (former Republican Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee), Dave McCurdy (former Democratic Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a founder of the Democratic Leadership Council) and Tom Ridge (former Republican Governor of Pennsylvania and Secretary of Homeland Security). The late Mike Oxley (former Republican Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and author of Sarbanes-Oxley Act) was also an honorary chairman until his passing earlier this year.

 Top: Dave McCurdy, Ken Bentsen, Jim Jones Bottom: Mike Oxley, Jim McCrery, Tom Ridge

Top: Dave McCurdy, Ken Bentsen, Jim Jones Bottom: Mike Oxley, Jim McCrery, Tom Ridge

Past ACCF election projects have included forums with other highly respected economists that have played prominent roles as campaign advisors and later as administration figureheads.

L to R: Austan Goolsbee, Doug Holtz-Eakin, Jason Furman, Greg Mankiw
L to R: Austan Goolsbee, Doug Holtz-Eakin, Jason Furman, Greg Mankiw

In 2008, the ACCF hosted Austan Goolsbee, surrogate for the Obama campaign (pictured right) and later Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). On the Republican side, the ACCF hosted Douglas Holtz-Eakin top economic adviser to Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign (pictured left) and a member of the board of scholars of the ACCF Center for Policy Research.

Jason Furman, Obama advisor and later Chairman of CEA has also headlined past ACCF forums.

Harvard Professor Gregory Mankiw was CEA chairman under President George W. Bush. He also served as an economic adviser to
Mitt Romney and shared the campaign’s economic agenda at an ACCF forum. Mankiw also serves on the ACCF Board of Scholars.

The ACCF will soon turn its attention the historic “First 100 Days” of the next administration—the seventh time that it has served as a liaison between the business community, a new presidential administration and the media as an advocate for a pro-growth economic agenda.