Biography provided by participant

Chris Jennings is a more than two decade-long veteran of the Congress, the White House, and the private sector who currently is president of Jennings Policy Strategies (JPS), a consulting firm that serves clients that share a commitment to affordable, quality health care for all Americans. Clients include consumer groups, labor organizations, businesses, public and private health plan purchasers, generic drug manufacturers, and not-for-profit foundations. In this latter capacity, Mr. Jennings is currently the co-staff director (with former CMS Administrator Mark McClellan) of the Bipartisan Policy Center's health reform project with former Majority Leaders' Baker, Daschle, Dole and Mitchell. Earlier in 2008, he also served on the Democratic Platform drafting committee as well as a senior health care advisor to Senator Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign.

From 1994 - 2001, Mr. Jennings served in the White House as senior health care advisor to President William Jefferson Clinton at the Domestic Policy and National Economic Councils. In this role, he was charged with developing and implementing the Administration's health care policy. Mr. Jennings made significant contributions to major, bipartisan health legislation, including the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the Mental Health Parity Act, the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act, and many others. Mr. Jennings also coordinated and oversaw the health policy work of numerous Federal agencies, including the Office of Management and Budget and the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, and Labor while leading efforts to communicate and advocate Administration health policy to the Congress, state and local governments, health care interest groups, and the media. Prior to joining the Clinton Administration, Jennings served as Committee staff for three U.S. Senators over almost a ten year period on Capitol Hill.