Wendell E. Primus
Dr. Wendell Primus joined the Center on Budget and Policy
Priorities in June 1997 as the Director of Income Security. As head
of this new division, Dr. Primus will expand the Center's research in areas
including social security, unemployment insurance, child support enforcement,
child welfare, income and poverty trends, and federal policy related to
welfare law. He was a visiting professor of Law and Public Policy
at the University, teaching a class entitled "Welfare Policy" to Law and
Public Policy students in the Spring of 1997.
From March 1993 to August 1996, Dr. Primus served as Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Human Services Policy in the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. In that capacity, he was primarily
responsible for the conduct and coordination of research and evaluation
on issues/programs concerning child development, welfare, employment, child
support, retirement and disability assistance.
Previous to this position, Dr. Primus was chief economist
for the Committee on Ways and Means and Staff Director of the Subcommittee
on Human Resources of the U.S. House of Representatives. In this
capacity, he was primarily responsible for budget-related analysis and
was deeply involved in drafting the Gramm-Rudman law. He was also
the editor of the Committee's "Green Book," a resource document published
annually that contains comprehensive data and information on Federal entitlement
programs within the jurisdiction of the Committee. In addition, he
was responsible for analyzing welfare, health, social security and unemployment
insurance issues.
Dr. Primus has also served as an assistant professor of
economics at Georgetown University and a part-time consultant to the Committee
on Agriculture on the food stamp program.
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