By Guy F. Smith
May 26, 2003

President Bush has named influential White House policy adviser Joshua Bolten as the head of The Office of Management and Budget. Bolten's appointment follows the resignation of OMB Director Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. who is returning to Indiana for a possible run for Governor.

Bolten, 48, was dispatched by President Bush's political aide Karl Rove to meet with Conference of Mayors Leadership at their 2001 Key West meeting and has spoken to other Conference meetings such as The 2000 Winter Leadership meeting in Washington.

Bolten currently is Assistant to The President and deputy chief of staff for policy. In this post, he has been in charge of all White House domestic policy initiatives and was a key player in the formation of The Department of Homeland Security.

In his new position, Bolten is the chief overseer of the country's $2.23 trillion federal budget in an office of 511 employees. A former Goldman Sachs executive, Bolten says he is committed to becoming a "tight fisted custodian of the people's money" as head of the largest agency in The Executive Office of The President.

Bolten now faces a Senate Confirmation hearing.

As OMB head, Bolten will be responsible for preparing budget proposals to Congress, administration purchasing, financial management, information technology and regulatory policies.

Bolten grew up in Washington D.C. and attended Princeton before obtaining a law degree from Stanford.

In the first Bush administration, Mr. Bolten was the general counsel to the office of the United States trade representative and then worked for Goldman Sachs in London. In 2000, he was the policy director of Mr. Bush's presidential campaign.