Obama Camp Release on Policy Team Additions

Obama Campaign Announces New Additions to National Policy Team

CHICAGO, IL —The Obama Campaign today announced that Melody Barnes, currently Executive Vice President for policy at the Center for American Progress, will serve as Senior Domestic Policy Advisor and Neera Tanden, former Clinton Campaign Policy Director, will serve as the Domestic Policy Director. Barnes and Tanden will help coordinate the domestic policy process under Heather Higginbottom, the campaign's Policy Director.

Melody Barnes is stepping down from her role as the Executive Vice President for Policy at American Progress where she coordinated the integration of all of the Center's policy work from the policy departments, fellows, and the Center's network of outside policy experts. Barnes also served as Chief Counsel to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In that role, she helped to fight for civil rights, women's health and reproductive rights, shape commercial law and religious liberties laws, and review executive branch and judicial appointments.

Neera Tanden most recently served as Policy Director for the Hillary Clinton campaign, where she directed all policy work and coordinated work with policy advisors. Tanden previously served as Senator Clinton's Legislative Director and was the Deputy Campaign Manager and Policy Director for Clinton's Senate campaign. She was formerly Senior Vice President for Domestic Policy at the Center for American Progress and served as the Issues Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).