Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council and a top White House adviser, is exiting his role, President Joe Biden said in a statement Thursday. Deese—who The New York Times said was commuting to D.C. from New England and whose exit was reportedly “long planned”—was “critical” to getting the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and more of Biden’s economic agenda passed, Biden said. “He has helped steer my economic vision into reality, and managed the transition of our historic economic recovery to steady and stable growth,” Biden said in his statement. Deese’s departure comes as the debt ceiling debacle enters a time crunch, and Biden didn’t offer information on a successor or when Deese would head out.