Warren May Be Given Interim Appt.

Rumors have surfaced that the Obama administration might appoint Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren as the interim head of the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protectional to avoid a difficult confirmation by the Senate.

White House spokesperson Bill Burton said yesterday that an interim appointment was “certainly an option that the president is considering” and that the president would make an announcement “very soon.”

Warren’s appointment as interim head would allow her to start work immediately, though she would only be able to work until the end of next year as stipulated by the law.

Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post, said Monday night in Cambridge that her website would soon report that Warren might be appointed “at least interim head” until a permament appointment was decided.

“Elizabeth Warren is the voice of reason in the country,” Huffington said.

Several weeks ago, it was announced that Warren would not be teaching a contracts class this fall, launching rumors that she might be preparing for a move to Washington.

But as of yesterday, Warren was still slated to co-teach “Empirical Analysis of Law” with visiting Law School Professor Lynn M. LoPucki, LoPucki said yesterday afternoon.

The class has only met once so far this year, but Warren was unable to teach that day because she was meeting with President Obama, LoPucki said.

“I’m in uncertainty just as everyone else is,” LoPucki added.

Warren has emerged in recent years as a staunch advocate for consumer protection and the middle class. She is a favorite of liberals but disliked on Wall Street for her tough stance on regulation of financial institutions.

For this reason, Warren’s appointment is likely to spark a heated partisan struggle and a lengthy confirmation process, possibly resulting in a Republican filibuster.

As interim head, Warren could lay the groundwork for the Bureau and run the day-to-day work until she or another nominee is announced as a permanent director.

“I think she would make a great permanent agency head and if that can’t be then I think some sort of temporary appointment would be good for the agency,” LoPucki said. “She’s the person who started all this. She’s the one who believes in the mission.”

—Staff writer Zoe A. Y. Weinberg can be reached at zoe.weinberg@college.harvard.edu.