2 Republicans Oppose Neera Tanden’s Nomination, Biden Backs Her Up

If confirmed, Neera Tanden would be the first woman of colour and first Indian American to lead the Office of Management and Budget.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Neera Tanden)

Neera Tanden’s nomination to the Senate is facing resistance from Republicans, such as Senator Susan Collins and Mitt Romney. The duo have declared that they would oppose Tanden’s nomination over her supposedly “mean tweets” in the past against various Senators, which Tanden deleted upon being nominated.

Tanden is US President Joe Biden’s pick for Cabinet as part of his administration’s plan to build a team of liberal and centrist economic advisors.

Her role oversees the president’s policy, budget, management and regulatory objectives. The fifty-year-old currently heads the Centre for American Progress (CAP), a left-leaning think tank.

If confirmed, Neera Tanden would be the first woman of colour and first Indian American to lead the Office of Management and Budget.

The White House asserted on Monday that it will stand by Tanden.

“She is an accomplished policy expert who would be an excellent Budget Director and we look forward to the committee votes this week and to continuing to work toward her confirmation through engagement with both parties,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday, according to Bloomberg.

Why the Resistance To Her Confirmation?

Republic Senator Susan Collins referred to Tanden’s posts on social media, which have now been deleted, to explain why she is opposing the nomination.

“Tanden’s decision to delete more than a thousand tweets in the days before her nomination was announced raises concerns about her commitment to transparency,” said Collins, as quoted by Bloomberg.

Collins stated that, “Neera Tanden has neither the experience nor the temperament to lead this critical agency,” adding that Congress must be able to trust the OMB director to make countless decisions impartially and Tanden’s statements are “overtly partisan” which will affect the working relationship of the House, stated the report.

Collins reiterated that Tanden’s “past actions have demonstrated exactly the kind of animosity that President Biden has pledged to transcend.” Tanden had once called Collins “the worst” in a now deleted tweet.

Senator Romney’s spokesperson stated that the Republican is consistent in his role of being critical of extreme rhetoric from prior nominees, and added, “He (Romney) believes it’s hard to return to comity and respect with a nominee who has issued a thousand mean tweets,” accord to the Wall Street Journal.

Democrat Joe Manchin has also announced his decision to not support Tanden’s nomination adding that he didn’t agree with her partisan views.

He said, “We must take meaningful steps to end the political division and dysfunction that pervades our politics. At a time of grave crisis, it is more important than ever that we chart a new bipartisan course that helps address the many serious challenges facing our nation,” according to Business Insider.

Tanden’s Apology

Tanden had apologised for her controversial social media comments criticising Senators during her confirmation hearings before the Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, added the report.

Tanden had said, “My language and my expressions on social media caused hurt to people, and I feel badly about that. And I really regret it and I recognise that it’s really important for me to demonstrate that I can work with others.”

Tanden needs at least one Republican to support her nomination in order to get confirmed in the Senate, which seems to be tied at 50/50, with Kamala Harris in a unique position to break the tie if it plays out that way in the Senate.

(With inputs from Bloomberg, Business Insider and the Wall Street Journal)