Ben
Olinsky

Senior Vice President, Structural Reform and Governance; Senior Fellow

he/him

Ben Olinsky is the senior vice president of Structural Reform and Governance and a senior fellow on the Economy team at American Progress. He rejoined American Progress after serving as the special assistant to the president for labor and workforce policy under former President Barack Obama. At the White House, Olinsky helped craft the president’s agenda for labor and employment issues, including raising wages, expanding worker voice, protecting worker safety and health, advancing equal pay, combating discrimination, promoting paid leave, and creating pathways to jobs and opportunity. He coordinated federal efforts to update overtime protections and led the development and implementation of executive actions to raise wages, expand paid leave, and improve labor standards for federal contractors and employees. Olinsky was previously a senior fellow at American Progress, where he led the Middle-Out Economics project, researching and publishing policies to strengthen the middle class and reduce income inequality. Before his time at the White House and American Progress, Olinsky served as the legislative director for former Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) and as the senior economic adviser for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

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‘Among Neighbors’: A Reel Progress Screening Past Event
Promotional poster for

‘Among Neighbors’: A Reel Progress Screening

Join the Center for American Progress for the Washington, D.C., premiere of "Among Neighbors" followed by a conversation with director and producer, Yoav Potash.

Center for American Progress

The Trump Administration’s ICE and CBP Have Become a Threat to Americans: Congress Must Ensure That DHS Follows the Law and Adopts Commonsense Reforms Article
ICE agents detain woman on ground

The Trump Administration’s ICE and CBP Have Become a Threat to Americans: Congress Must Ensure That DHS Follows the Law and Adopts Commonsense Reforms

The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security is out of control, endangering the well-being and lives of Americans. DHS must follow the law and fulfill its role to enhance—not compromise—the security of Americans and the homeland.

Undoing Citizens United and Reining in Super PACs Past Event

Undoing Citizens United and Reining in Super PACs

Please join the Center for American Progress for the national debut of a bold new approach that rewrites the rules of money in politics, combining a revolutionary state strategy to make Citizens United irrelevant with a federal plan to rein in super PACs once and for all.

Center for American Progress

Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Colleges Will Put University Presidents in Legal Jeopardy Article
U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a meeting.

Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Colleges Will Put University Presidents in Legal Jeopardy

The White House’s proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education is unconstitutional, unlawful, and will put universities and their administrators at direct risk from a politicized Justice Department.

Point: Deception and Destruction — Musk and DOGE’s Real Goal In the News

Point: Deception and Destruction — Musk and DOGE’s Real Goal

In an op-ed published by InsideSources, Ben Olinsky argues that DOGE’s sweeping cuts are deliberately destroying the parts of government Americans rely on for basic services and protections.

InsideSources

Ben Olinsky

The SAVE Act: The Bill That Could Block Millions of Americans From Voting Past Event

The SAVE Act: The Bill That Could Block Millions of Americans From Voting

Please join the Center for American Progress for a virtual event to hear from, and ask questions of, CAP experts about their work on the SAVE Act, how the legislation would affect tens of millions of Americans, and what you can do to help prevent its passage.

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Counterpoint: The Carnage Has Begun In the News

Counterpoint: The Carnage Has Begun

In an op-ed published by InsideSources, Ben Olinsky looks ahead to Trump's upcoming congressional address and argues that the change Trump promised is not the sort he’s delivering.

InsideSources

Ben Olinsky

Fact Sheet: Recommendations for the White House To Take Further Action on AI Fact Sheet
President Joe Biden sits at a table with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to the right Arati Prabhakar to the left.

Fact Sheet: Recommendations for the White House To Take Further Action on AI

This fact sheet offers recommendations for how the White House, including the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, can utilize its authorities to address artificial intelligence (AI).

CAP Files Amicus Curiae Briefs Highlighting Importance of the Inflation Reduction Act in Lowering Drug Prices Article

CAP Files Amicus Curiae Briefs Highlighting Importance of the Inflation Reduction Act in Lowering Drug Prices

These briefs emphasize the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare prescription drug price negotiation program for affordability and health equity.

Sophia Weaver, Marquisha Johns, Andrea Ducas, 3 More Jamie Crooks, Devon Ombres, Ben Olinsky

Filibustered! How to Fix the Broken Senate and Save America Past Event

Filibustered! How to Fix the Broken Senate and Save America

If we want to fix what ails America, we have to fix the Senate. And if we want to fix the Senate, we must fix the broken filibuster.

Center for American Progress

Is Alaska the Secret to Saving American Democracy? Past Event

Is Alaska the Secret to Saving American Democracy?

How Electoral System Reform Can Reduce Polarization, Increase Voters’ Choices, and Incentivize Bipartisan Policymaking

1333 H St NW, Washington, D.C., 20005

Introductory Remarks Upcoming Session

Introductory Remarks

Introductory remarks provided by CAP's senior vice president of Structural Reform and Governance and senior fellow on the Economy team, Ben Olinsky.

Introductory Remarks Upcoming Session

Introductory Remarks

Introductory remarks provided by CAP's Senior Vice President for Structural Reform and Governance and Senior Fellow, Ben Olinksy.

Developing Accountability Mechanisms for AI Systems Is Critical to the Development of Trustworthy AI Article

Developing Accountability Mechanisms for AI Systems Is Critical to the Development of Trustworthy AI

CAP submitted comments on how the National Telecommunications and Information Administration should develop a national framework for AI accountability to address the unmitigated risks of artificial intelligence and ensure that all AI technology is developed and deployed in safe and trustworthy ways.

Adam Conner, Megan Shahi, Ashleigh Maciolek, 1 More Ben Olinsky

Revelations About Justice Clarence Thomas Reinforce the Need for Justices to Be Bound by an Ethics Code Article
The Supreme Court of the United States.

Revelations About Justice Clarence Thomas Reinforce the Need for Justices to Be Bound by an Ethics Code

Media reports that Justice Clarence Thomas accepted lavish yacht trips and private jet rides without publicly disclosing them underscore the urgent need for Supreme Court justices to be bound by a binding code of ethics just like other federal judges and members of Congress.

Ben Olinsky, Maggie Jo Buchanan, William Roberts

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