Duties vary between Administrations, but the chief of staff has been responsible for overseeing the White House staff, managing the president's schedule, and deciding who is allowed to meet with the president. Harry Truman had the first Chief of Staff, John Steelman (1946-1952).
Rahm Emanuel is the White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel has served in the House of Representatives since 2003, representing Illinois's 5th congressional district. He is the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House, behind Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Leader Steny Hoyer and Whip Jim Clyburn. He is friends with fellow Chicagoan David Axelrod, the chief strategist for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign. He is also friends with former President Bill Clinton.
Emanuel directed the finance committee for then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton's presidential primary campaign. He was a senior advisor to Clinton at the White House from 1993 to 1998, serving as Assistant to the President for Political Affairs and then Senior Advisor to the President for Policy and Strategy. He was a leading strategist in the unsuccessful universal healthcare initiative. He has advocated a three-month compulsory universal service program for Americans between the ages of 18 and 25.
After leaving the White House, Emanuel worked as an investment banker from 1998-2002, making $16.2 million in two-and-a-half-years as a banker. In 2000, Clinton appointed Emanuel to the Board of Directors for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"). He resigned in 2001 to run for Congress.
Rahm Emanuel is the White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel has served in the House of Representatives since 2003, representing Illinois's 5th congressional district. He is the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House, behind Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Leader Steny Hoyer and Whip Jim Clyburn. He is friends with fellow Chicagoan David Axelrod, the chief strategist for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign. He is also friends with former President Bill Clinton.
Emanuel directed the finance committee for then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton's presidential primary campaign. He was a senior advisor to Clinton at the White House from 1993 to 1998, serving as Assistant to the President for Political Affairs and then Senior Advisor to the President for Policy and Strategy. He was a leading strategist in the unsuccessful universal healthcare initiative. He has advocated a three-month compulsory universal service program for Americans between the ages of 18 and 25.
After leaving the White House, Emanuel worked as an investment banker from 1998-2002, making $16.2 million in two-and-a-half-years as a banker. In 2000, Clinton appointed Emanuel to the Board of Directors for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"). He resigned in 2001 to run for Congress.