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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release June 25, 1993

WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES NEW STAFF ROLES

(Washington, DC) White House Chief of Staff Thomas F. "Mack" McLarty announced today that he has asked three senior members of the White House staff to assume new responsibilities. Effective July 6, Ricki Seidman will function as Assistant to the President and Counselor to the Chief of Staff, Joan Baggett will be Assistant to the President and Political Director, and Rahm Emmanuel will serve as Assistant to the President and Deputy Communications Director.

"I have a responsibility to the President and the American people to ensure that the White House staff is organized in the most effective way possible to serve the public interest," said McLarty. "I expect that we will continue to try to refine and improve the White House structure throughout President Clinton's administration. These changes will move us further towards that goal.

"Rahm Emmanuel played a vital role in the President's campaign last year, and has done an outstanding job of building popular support for some of the difficult decisions on the President's economic plan. I think that his new role is one which will allow his many talents and his dogged determination to be used to their fullest capacity.

"Ricki Seidman is a person of varied and substantial talents who has taken on a wide range of responsibilities both inside and outside of the Communications Department. Her talent for analyzing complex situations and her tireless efforts have made her an essential part of the President's team. In her new capacity, she will be an even more valued adviser and aide both to the President and myself.

"As the new White House Political Director, Joan Baggett will play a role for which she is eminently qualified: ensuring that we reach out to Americans around the country, ensuring that their voices are heard and their talents are mobilized in President Clinton's effort to change the country. Doing so has been the work of her career, and the focus of her actions as Deputy Political Director for the past five months," McLarty added.

In their new positions, Emmanuel will assist in the Administration-wide efforts to communicate the President's positions and goals in a timely and effective manner, and Seidman will act as a senior adviser in a broad range of areas, assist in confirmation of administration appointees, and supervise special projects. Baggett will manage White House outreach to constituency groups and activists around the country.

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