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.