Nussle Named White House Budget Director

White House Budget Director Rob Portman is resigning and President George W. Bush named former Iowa Representative Jim Nussle as his replacement.

President Bush called Nussle “a strong advocate for fiscal discipline and a champion of tax cuts.’’ He said, “Jim showed he can work with members of both sides of the aisle to get positive things done for America.”

 Nussle, 46, left Congress and made an unsuccessful bid for governor of Iowa last year. A Republican, he is a former chairman of the House Budget Committee, which is charged with drawing up the annual tax-and-spending plan for lawmakers.

Portman plans to leave in August. Nussle’s nomination is subject to confirmation by the Senate. The budget chief is one of the most powerful in the White House operation because the job cuts across all departments and agencies. Decisions from how much aid to give the Palestinians to the size of emergency war spending all filter through OMB.

IBA Ballots in the Mail for Chair-Elect

IBA ballots for the Chairman-Elect will be mailed July 2, 2007 to member banks. The ballots must be returned in the provided postage-paid envelope by August 31, 2007 to the IBA office.

Thomas E. Stanberry, Chairman and CEO, West Bank in West Des Moines has been officially nominated for Chairman-Elect. Please contact the IBA’s Molly Lydon at 800.532.1423 or email mlydon@iowabankers.com with any questions.