From 1992 to 1997, Dean served as a budget analyst in the
Office of Management and Budget. She joined the
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in 1997, working as a senior policy analyst until 2000 and vice president for food assistance policy until 2021. On January 21, 2021, Dean began service in the
Biden administration as deputy under secretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services at the
Department of Agriculture (USDA). During her tenure at USDA, Dean oversaw the 2021 update to the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP). The nonpartisan
U.S. Government Accountability Office later determined this action violated the Congressional Review Act. The nonpartisan
Congressional Budget Office found that the 2021 TFP "reduced the fraction of people participating in the labor force as a response to the higher transfer income that people received when not working." On May 13, 2022, President Biden nominated her to the under secretary position in the same office. == References ==