WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 5, 2026) — American University's School of Public Affairs (SPA) announced that Tom Kahn has been named Director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (CCPS), effective July 1. The appointment follows a successful year in which Kahn served as Acting Director, during which he began mapping a strategic direction for the Center and provided extensive support to CCPS's three flagship institutes: the Campaign Management Institute (CMI), the Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute (PAAI), and the European Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute (EPAAI).

Kahn brings three decades of congressional experience to the role, having worked in and across Capitol Hill during several of its most consequential legislative eras. Before joining SPA as an adjunct professor in the Department of Government and as a Distinguished CCPS Fellow, Kahn spent two decades as Democratic Staff Director for the House Budget Committee, serving in both the minority and majority. As the longest serving Staff Director in history, Kahn helped shape major budgetary and legislative wins, including the 1997 bipartisan budget agreement that led to a federal budget surplus, and contributed to the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

“It is a great privilege to be appointed Director of CCPS,” said Kahn. “I am excited to continue the Center’s outstanding work promoting outstanding academic research, sponsoring educational programs and fostering a greater appreciation for the proper constitutional balance between the Presidency and Congress. By bringing together scholarship and practice, we help strengthen the institutions that are essential to effective democratic governance.”

Since leaving the House Budget Committee, Kahn, who is also a partner at the Cormac Group, has held a range of leadership and advisory roles in Washington. He was appointed by President Biden to the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad, is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and continues to consult for both the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute.

At American University, Kahn has also distinguished himself as an educator, earning AU's Outstanding Teaching Award in 2023. He holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.

"Tom's depth of experience on Capitol Hill, combined with his commitment to our students, makes him exactly the right leader to carry CCPS forward," said SPA Dean Alison Jacknowitz. "Over the past year, he has already shown what that leadership looks like in practice and I am excited to see what he will do in the coming years."

CCPS prepares students for careers in congressional, campaign, and public affairs work through its three institutes, offering hands-on training grounded in real-world political and legislative experience.

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About American University School of Public Affairs
Established in 1934, American University's School of Public Affairs (SPA) is ranked No.12 in the nation (and first in the D.C. area) by U.S. News & World Report, offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and executive-level programs to build and enhance careers in public service. The school offers a unique pairing of access to Washington, D.C. with world-renowned faculty and transformational research, driving progress in policy, politics, law, and public administration.