Bill Clinton: “First of all, while it doesn't have a 50-year history, I think the record will reflect that's exactly what we've done. I…”

“First of all, while it doesn't have a 50-year history, I think the record will reflect that's exactly what we've done. I brought Bob Rubin in to be the head of a new National Economic Council to reconcile all the different economic agencies. And then Laura Tyson did it. Now Gene Sperling and Dan Tarullo do it. As a result of it, for the first time in most business people's experience, you have the State Department aggressively working in Embassies around the world to help American business; you have the Export-Import Bank, Overseas Private Investment Council working with the Agriculture Department, the Commerce Department, and all the other economic agencies, especially, obviously, the Treasury Department. And it works like the NSC does. We try to get everybody together, reach a common policy, and then all back it. Sometimes we don't quite get there, but we've had a remarkable amount of success, and I think that it is the single most significant organizational innovation that our administration has made in the White House. And I think that the economic record of the administration is due at least in part to the institution of the National Economic Council. [The discussion continued.] Integration of Diplomatic and Economic Policy”