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In this conversation on political acumen both on and off the hill, Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Ron Klain break down how they fostered underdog victories for their respective parties.
Throughout his career, Speaker McCarthy fought for a more effective, efficient, and accountable federal government. Speaker McCarthy’s invaluable perspective as a Washington insider, as well as his sharp insights and analysis, make him the ideal voice on the future of the U.S. Speaker McCarthy’s decade and a half at the pinnacle of U.S. government has imbued him with powerful insights into politics, leadership, and values.
As Chief of Staff to President Biden, Ron Klain oversaw the Biden-Harris White House staff and served as a member of the Cabinet. He has been praised for his bipartisan legislative achievements, a historic focus on judicial nominations, and guiding the White House to an unexpected victory in the midterm elections. Mr. Klain provides an unmatched perspective to the conversation on sustainability, innovation, and the impact of policy.
For insight into management of disparate stakeholders and finding unlikely alignment, these respected politicians will teach you how to find common ground.
Ron Klain was the longest serving first Chief of Staff for any Democratic President (2021-2023). As Chief of Staff to President Biden, Mr. Klain oversaw the Biden-Harris White House staff and served as a member of the Cabinet. President Biden called Ron Klain “a once-in-a-generation talent with fierce intellect and heart.” Mr. Klain has been praised for his bipartisan legislative achievements, a historic focus on judicial nominations, and guiding the White House to an unexpected victory in the midterm elections. A frequent guest on TV news shows, Mr. Klain was a well-known spokesperson for the administration. Mr. Klain was selected for the TIME 100 list of global leaders while serving as Chief of Staff.
Mr. Klain held senior posts in private law practice and spent more than a decade as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Revolution LLC, an investment firm launched by AOL Co-Founder Steve Case in 2005. He is now a partner in global legal giant O'Melveny's Litigation Department and serves on the firm's Executive Committee. In addition, Mr. Klain has devoted many years to public service. He has served as on the Executive Council of TechNet, the Democracy Forward Foundation, and a member of the external advisory boards of the World Economic Forum’s Global Health Security Project and the Ending Pandemics Project. Mr. Klain has worked on eight Presidential campaigns, serving as a top debate preparation advisor to Presidents Biden, Obama and Clinton, and Democratic Presidential nominees Al Gore, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton.
55th Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is described as a man exuding “true American grit.” Prior to his election to Congress, McCarthy served as the fastest rising Minority Leader in the California State Legislature. In Congress, he held nearly every elected leadership position in the House Republican conference and served under four Presidents, during two economic crises, and through consistent political upheaval while always maintaining his approach to governing as a Happy Warrior. After his election to Speaker, McCarthy went on to secure $2T in deficit reduction. McCarthy’s decade and a half at the pinnacle of U.S. government has imbued him with powerful insights into politics, leadership, and values.
Throughout his career, McCarthy fought for a more effective, efficient, and accountable federal government. McCarthy’s invaluable perspective as a Washington insider, as well as his sharp insights and analysis, make him the ideal voice on the future of the U.S.
Ron Klain is a partner and member of the Executive committee at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, a global law firm. He draws on four decades of experience in law, finance, policymaking, and politics to advise clients.
Klain has served as a key advisor to three U.S. Presidents—most recently as White House Chief of Staff in the Biden-Harris administration. President Biden described Ron as “a once-in-a-generation talent” and a “fiercely brilliant intellect” with “a heart as big as his head.” President Obama, for whom Klain led the U.S. response to the African Ebola epidemic of 2014, said of Klain that “He took on a challenge that many called insurmountable, and, in leading the team responsible for the tremendous progress, helped remind the world what makes America so exceptional.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote that Klain has “one of the coolest heads and quickest minds” in public life.
Selected by Time magazine among the world’s 100 most influential people in 2021, Ron is a recognized authority on matters of government, law, and public affairs. During his time as White House Chief of Staff, Ron oversaw the administration’s COVID-19 response and contributed to major legislative accomplishments, including the American Rescue Plan Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. At the end of his tenure as White House chief of staff, noted White House historian Chris Whipple rated Klain among the top three performers ever to hold the job, and said, “Mr. Klain had a rare combination of assets: White House experience, knowledge of Capitol Hill, political savvy and managerial acumen. His collegial style kept the West Wing practically leakproof and drama-free.”
His long history of public service includes serving as Assistant to President Bill Clinton and Chief of Staff and Counselor to Vice President Al Gore. Earlier, he served as Chief Counsel of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Associate Counsel to President Clinton, and then, Counselor to the US Attorney General. He subsequently served as a senior aide to President Barack Obama and Chief of Staff to then Vice President Biden.
Ron’s experience extends far beyond public service. In between tours in government, he previously worked as an O’Melveny partner; served for more than a decade as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of a multibillion-dollar investment firm, and taught as an adjunct professor at Harvard Law School and Georgetown University. Ron began his legal career as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Byron R. White, after graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law School.
Kevin McCarthy is the 55th Speaker of the House.
Described as a man who exudes “true American grit,” McCarthy's political journey is the quintessential American story. After starting a small business at the age of 21, McCarthy went back to college to earn his bachelor and master degrees in business. He was rejected for an internship to the congressional seat he later held for seventeen years. Prior to being elected to Congress, McCarthy served in the California State Legislature where he became the fastest rising Minority Leader in the history of the California State Assembly.
McCarthy won the Speakership after a historic 15 ballots, and went on to secure $2 trillion in deficit reduction, all while protecting the full faith and credit of the United States, keeping our government open, and making sure our troops were paid. He also refocused Congress on America’s long-term challenges by creating the first-ever Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
Throughout his career, McCarthy fought for a more effective, efficient, and accountable federal government. He also personally recruited and actively supported commonsense candidates for office who have helped reshape the Republican Party – several of whom have become Senators, Governors, and cabinet secretaries. Overall, under his leadership, dozens of new Republican women, minorities, and veterans have been elected to Congress.
In Congress, he held nearly every elected leadership position in the House Republican conference and served under three Presidents, during two economic crises, and through consistent political upheaval while always maintaining his approach to governing as a Happy Warrior.
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