Without Senate confirmation, the two economists are barred from advising the president

I don’t get that. You mean Congress gets to control who the President can even talk to? OK, so Congress stops them from being confirmed so they have no official position. But the Prez gets advice from all sortsa folks who don’t actually work in the government. No reason I can see that he couldn’t talk with and get advice from these folks as private citizens.

(I also don’t get the whole idea of being allowed to put a “hold” on a bill, particularly an anonymous one. Anathema to the whole idea of representative and responsible government. I sign my name to everything I write and do. I expect my representatives to do likewise.)