Rohit Kumar reflects on his experiences in the U.S. Senate during the years of the Obama presidency, during which he worked in the office of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell as policy director and senior counsel and, from 2010 to 2013, as deputy chief of staff. Kumar speaks widely about the structure and function of the leader's office, and describes the Republican caucus' response to the e lection of Barack Obama and strategic approach to the Obama presidency. He also provides details about Senate Republicans' experience of, and approach to, major legislative initiatives, including the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP); the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Kumar also considers the importance of the relationship between McConnell and Vice President Joe Biden, and tells the stories of their emergency fiscal negotiations from 2011 to 2013. Also discussed are the Obama White House's engagement with the Republican leaders' office; President Obama's occasional personal involvement in congressional negotiations; the effects of the 2010 midterm elections on the balance of power in Congress; McConnell's style of leadership; the relationship between McConnell and Leader of the House Republican Conference John Boehner; and Kumar's memories of the 2008 presidential election cycle
Presidents--United States; Political leadership--United States; Political parties--United States; Legislative power--United States; Kumar, Rohit; McConnell, Mitch; Obama, Barack; Troubled Asset Relief Program (U.S.); United States; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008; Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2021
Physical Description
47 pages
Note (Biographical)
Rohit Kumar is an attorney, Republican political advisor, and tax policy expert. Among other positions, he has served as deputy chief republican counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; legislative director and chie f counsel to U.S. Senator Phil Gramm of Texas; general counsel and senior policy advisory to Senate Republic Leader Trent Lott; senior policy advisor, director of policy, and senior counsel to Senate Majority Leader William Frist; and, from 2007 to 2013, as policy director, senior counsel, and deputy chief of staff to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. At the time of the interview, Kumar was principal and Washington National Tax Services Co-Leader at PwC
Note
Interviewed by Nicole R. Hemmer on December 10, 2021. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Rohit Kumar, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023