Diana Furchtgott-Roth

Diana Furchtgott-Roth (born 1958) is an American economist who is adjunct professor of economics at George Washington University and a columnist. She served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology at the United States Department of Transportation during the first Trump administration. She previously served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Prior to joining the Trump Administration, Furchtgott-Roth served as a senior fellow and director of Economics21 at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. On September 28, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate her to become Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Research and Technology. On January 3, 2021, her nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. Furchtgott-Roth was previously the chief economist of the United States Department of Labor, chief of staff of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, deputy executive director of the United States Domestic Policy Council, and junior staff economist at the Council of Economic Advisers.

A former columnist for MarketWatch and Tax Notes, she has authored seven books.

Early life and education Diana Roth was born to Ellen and Gabriel Roth in England in 1958. Her family moved to the United States in 1967. Her father was an economist at the World Bank. They lived in Chevy Chase, Maryland. After receiving a B.A. from Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, Roth returned to England, where she earned a M.Phil. in economics from the University of Oxford. She authored the chapter "Department of Transportation" for the foundation's ninth edition of the Mandate for Leadership, which provides the policy agenda for Project 2025.

Views Furchtgott-Roth argues that a regime of lower taxes and less regulation will increase economic growth. She has argued that raising the minimum wage would reduce the number of jobs available to low-skill workers and teens. She has proposed that the U.S. federal government should pay to complement and back up the Global Positioning System because it is used by millions of Americans and is central to the economy.

Furchtgott-Roth has made contributions to The Federalist Society. On questions of interest rate management as a lever of economic growth, she favors the Taylor rule, a stable rate tied to the rate of GDP.

Personal life Furchtgott-Roth is married to Harold W. Furchtgott-Roth and the couple have six children.