President Trump on Tuesday night announced his intention to nominate Paul Ray as the permanent administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the White House office that plays an important role in the president’s regulation-cutting agenda.

Mr. Ray, previously a counselor to former Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, took over as acting OIRA administrator in March after Neomi Rao was confirmed by the Senate as a judge on the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia.

A senior administration official called Mr. Ray’s nomination “a great win for the American people.”

“His background in law and policy will help the administration continue our unprecedented deregulation efforts,” the official said.

Mr. Ray moved from the Labor Department to the Office of Management and Budget in July 2018. He earned his law degree at Harvard University and clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito before working in private practice in Washington.

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.