The White House advocated for her nomination to be Biden’s top budget official, but she did not have the Senate votes.
What We Know:
- On Tuesday, March 2, the White House abandoned trying to elect Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress, as the director of President Joe Biden’s Office of Management and Budget. The announcement comes after being unable to overcome congressional opposition in both parties.
- Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) was one of the first elected officials to reject Tanden openly; he cited posts on social media Tanden had made about officials such as Mitch McConnell, Bernie Sanders, and more. Manchin claimed her comments would make the working relationship between members of Congress and the budget office a toxic and detrimental one. He based his negation on the fact that the political parties must become more united, and her position will only divide them further.
- According to NBC News, Tanden would need a Republican vote after Manchin’s refusal. President Biden believed a moderate Republican would vote for Tanden, but it appeared unlikely. On Tuesday night, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) also rejected her nomination.
- The President plans to find a place for Neera Tanden to serve in his administration. This is President Biden’s first major defeat in his presidency that started a month ago. After Murkowski’s refusal, Ms. Tanden asked for Biden to end her nomination.
Tanden would have been the first woman of color to lead the Office of Management and Budget. She has also released an apology for her posts on social media, but government officials are not satisfied.
