United States Domestic Policy Council

The Domestic Policy Council (DPC) is the principal forum used by the president of the United States for the consideration of domestic policy matters and senior policymaking, and includes Cabinet members and White House officials. The Council is part of the Office of Policy Development, which itself is within the Executive Office of the President of the United States.

Domestic Policy Council

Agency overview
Formed	August 16, 1993
Jurisdiction	Federal Government of the United States
Headquarters	Eisenhower Executive Office Building
Employees	25
Agency executive	Neera Tanden, Director
Parent agency	Office of White House Policy, Executive Office of the President of the United States
Website	Official website

Since the establishment of the Council in 1993, under the administration of President Bill Clinton, its purpose is to coordinate the domestic policy-making process; to coordinate domestic policy advice to the president; to ensure that domestic policy decisions and programs are consistent with the president’s stated goals, and to ensure that those goals are being effectively pursued; and to monitor implementation of the president’s domestic policy agenda.

The Domestic Policy Council differs from the National Economic Council, which is used to consider economic policy for the president. The Domestic Policy Council focuses on issues of domestic policy, which exclude economic policy matters. The Council is also the principal arm of the president when coordinating domestic policy measures throughout the executive branch.

The Domestic Policy Council is headed by the assistant to the president for domestic policy and director of the Domestic Policy Council. Since May 26, 2023, that position has been held by Neera Tanden.

History and mission

The Domestic Policy Council was established on August 16, 1993 by Executive Order 12859, under President Clinton. The first director of the Domestic Policy Council was Carol Rasco, who was appointed by Clinton in 1993. The council oversees development and implementation of the president’s domestic policy agenda and ensures coordination and communication among the heads of relevant Federal offices and agencies.

Prior to the creation of the National Economic Council, economic policy staff had existed since the 1960s. President Lyndon Johnson assigned a senior aide to develop and organize domestic policy, of which economic policy was included. In 1970, President Richard Nixon issued an executive order which created the Office of Policy Development. President Clinton split the responsibilities of the Domestic Policy Council with the National Economic Council.

The Council is composed of various Cabinet officials, who advise the president on domestic policy issues and matters.

Assistants to the President for Domestic Policy

Image	Name	Start	End	President
	Joe Califano	July 26, 1965	January 20, 1969		Lyndon B. Johnson
	Pat Moynihan Urban Affairs	January 23, 1969	November 4, 1969		Richard Nixon
	John Ehrlichman	November 4, 1969	April 30, 1973
	Mel Laird	May 1, 1973	January 8, 1974
	Ken Cole	January 8, 1974	February 28, 1975
					Gerald Ford
	James Cannon	February 28, 1975	January 20, 1977
	Stu Eizenstat	January 20, 1977	January 20, 1981		Jimmy Carter
Vacant		January 20, 1981	June 20, 1985		Ronald Reagan
	Ralph Bledsoe	June 20, 1985	March 30, 1987
	Ken Cribb	March 30, 1987	December 2, 1987
	David McIntosh	December 2, 1987	September 8, 1988
	Dan Crippen	September 8, 1988	January 20, 1989
	Roger Porter	January 20, 1989	January 20, 1993		George H. W. Bush
	Carol Rasco	January 20, 1993	December 20, 1996		Bill Clinton
	Bruce Reed	December 20, 1996	January 20, 2001
	John Bridgeland	January 20, 2001	January 30, 2002		George W. Bush
	Margaret Spellings	January 30, 2002	January 5, 2005
	Claude Allen	January 5, 2005	February 9, 2006
	Karl Zinsmeister	May 24, 2006	January 20, 2009
	Melody Barnes	January 20, 2009	January 10, 2012		Barack Obama
	Cecilia Muñoz	January 10, 2012	January 20, 2017
	Andrew Bremberg	January 20, 2017	February 2, 2019		Donald Trump
	Joe Grogan	February 2, 2019	May 24, 2020
	Brooke Rollins Acting	May 24, 2020	January 20, 2021
	Susan Rice	January 20, 2021	May 26, 2023		Joe Biden
	Neera Tanden	May 26, 2023	present

External links

• White House: Domestic Policy Council