To close out Black History Month, I sat down this week with Black women in historic roles in the administration. Brenda Mallory, chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, and Cecilia Rouse, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers — both the first Black women to hold these jobs — discussed how they bring their lived experience to policy and previewed issues the president could highlight in his first State of the Union address Tuesday. 

Among the topics were the ongoing impact of inflation; the administration’s continued push to pass Build Back Better, which includes potentially sweeping changes on climate and caregiving; how the ongoing conflict in Ukraine could impact America’s economy; and what the administration is doing to create a more equitable economy and response to environmental challenges across the country.