Reagan made a discreet approach to an experienced outsider they believed might be able to persuade Reagan. Others had told him what he wanted to hear: that the controversy would blow over and that Donald Regan was more useful than not being there. Strauss, who had closely observed the workings of two other presidential administrations, told Reagan the painful truth: Regan had become a liability and that the White House needed a Chief of Staff who could mend fences, especially with Congress. Strauss recommended former Senator Howard Baker, a Republican who was respected on both sides of the aisle for his competence and his integrity. Reagan was visibly annoyed with Strauss's suggestions. However, a few days later, Donald Regan submitted his resignation, and the President appointed Baker to replace him. Baker skillfully managed Reagan's recovery from the controversy, and Reagan left office with his popularity restored. Strauss was then appointed as the co-chair, along with ex-Secretary of Transportation Drew Lewis, of the National Economic Commission. The bipartisan commission was tasked to solve the federal budget deficit that had grown to over $4 trillion. The commission lasted from 1988 to 1989 and ended in the first term of George HW Bush. Bush Reagan's Vice President, Bush, won the 1988 election to succeed him. Bush also found a need for the counsel of Strauss. Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was attempting to reform the country's communist system and to forge a new relationship with the United States. His efforts faced opposition from hard-liners within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and newly elected leaders who agitated for more and more autonomy. Bush appointed Strauss to serve as Ambassador to the Soviet Union, hoping that Strauss's proven negotiation skills would ease the transition to a new era. The Soviet Union was also starting to transition from a dictatorship to a democracy, making it important to show that party membership should no longer be a requirement for political office and that political opposition should no longer be considered treasonous but, to use a British term, "the loyal opposition," making Bush's selection of one of his opponents especially significant. It was reported that Bush told Strauss that Bush had selected Strauss because Strauss said that he had voted against Bush and intended to do so again. In August 1991, only weeks after a state visit by President Bush, reactionary members of the Communist Party and