Pelosi, House Democrats to Host Economic Forum on Wednesday

Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced today that House Democrats will host an economic forum in the Capitol on Wednesday morning, October 21.  The forum, which will convene national experts on economic and financial issues, will address the state of America's economy, focusing specifically on the creation of jobs.

"Our top economic priority as a nation is to get Americans back to work," Pelosi said.  "Our recovery efforts have brought our economy back from the brink and we are beginning to see signs that the economy is turning around. But we must take further action on behalf of millions of Americans who are out of work or at risk of losing their jobs, their savings, and their homes."

The forum is the latest in an ongoing effort by the 111th Congress to deliver a New Direction for economic security.  In January, the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hosted an economic forum to discuss the components of an economic recovery plan to spur job creation and create long-term growth.

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Among those who will attend the forum are:

Alan S. Blinder - Dr. Binder is a professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University and Co-Director of Princeton's Center for Economic Policy Studies, which he founded in 1990.  Dr. Blinder served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in the 1990s and a member of President Clinton's original Council of Economic Advisers.

Heather Boushey - Dr. Boushey is a Senior Economist at the Center for American Progress.  Prior to joining the Center she was a senior economist with the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress.  She was formerly a senior economist with the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Robert Kuttner - Mr. Kuttner is a co-founder and co-editor of The American Prospect magazine, as well as a Demos Distinguished Senior Fellow.  He was a longtime columnist for BusinessWeek, and continues to write columns for the Boston Globe.

Allen Sinai - Dr. Sinai is Chief Global Economist and President of Decision Economics, Inc. (PDE), a global economic and financial advisory firm.

Mark Zandi - Dr. Zandi is a Chief Economist and co-founder of Moody's Economy.com, where he directs the company's research and consulting activities.  Dr. Zandi was an economic adviser to Senator John McCain's campaign for president, has advised the Obama Administration, and testifies regularly before Congress.