Press Release: President-Elect Obama Taps Bipartisan Representatives to be Available at G-20 Conference

WASHINGTON – President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden today announced that former Republican Congressman Jim Leach and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will be available to meet with delegations at the G-20 summit on their behalf. Congressman Leach and Secretary Albright will be available for these unofficial meetings to seek input from visiting delegations on behalf of the President-elect and Vice President-elect.

"This weekend's summit is an important opportunity to hear from the leaders of many of the world's largest economies. President Bush should be commended for calling the summit. There is one President at a time in the United States, so the President-elect has asked Secretary Albright and Congressman Leach, an experienced and bipartisan team, to be available meet with and listen to our friends and allies on his behalf," said Obama Senior Foreign Policy Advisor Denis McDonough.

Secretary Albright served as Secretary of State and the United States Ambassador to the United Nations during the Clinton administration. Congressman Leach represented Iowa's second congressional district for thirty years, where he served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired the Banking and Financial Services Committee, the Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs, and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

Further details about the specific delegations Congressman Leach and Secretary Albright plan to meet with will be released at a later date. The President-elect and Vice President-elect will receive a briefing from Congressman Leach and Secretary Albright following the meetings.