7 White House Councils to Be Consolidated

Seven White House policy-making councils will be consolidated into two Cabinet-level agencies dealing with economic matters and domestic policy affairs, it was announced Thursday.

President Reagan will be chairman of both panels. In his absence, they will be headed by two of his former top White House lieutenants, Treasury Secretary James A. Baker III and Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III.

White House spokesman Larry Speakes said that the restructuring reflects the management style of Donald T. Regan, the new White House chief of staff.

Speakes said it does not signal any shift of power within the White House. “I don’t see any winners or losers here,” he said.

Replace 7 Other Groups

The two new agencies--the Economic Policy Council and the Domestic Policy Council--will replace seven existing, sub-Cabinet groups: the Cabinet councils on commerce and trade; economic affairs; food and agriculture; human resources; legal policy; management and administration; and natural resources and the environment. The two will also absorb the functions of the senior interagency group on international economic policy.

Defense and foreign policy matters will continue to be handled by the National Security Council.

Members of the Economic Policy Council will be the secretaries of state, treasury, agriculture, commerce, and labor, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. trade representative and the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.

The Domestic Policy Council members will be the attorney general, the OMB director and the secretaries of the interior, health and human services, housing and urban development, transportation, energy and education.

Vice President George Bush and Regan will serve as ex officio members of both councils. The secretary of defense and the head of the CIA will attend council meetings whenever international or budget matters are discussed, a White House statement said.