Confirmation of controversial OMB director in doubt
President Joe Biden’s nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget continued to face Senate opposition Thursday, narrowing her chances of confirmation.
The nominee, Neera Tanden, a longtime Democratic political and policy aide who runs the liberal Center for American Progress think tank, has drawn opposition from Republicans and at least one Senate Democrat over a history of combative Twitter posts that criticized lawmakers in often colorful terms.
Her struggles have exposed an early miscalculation by Biden’s team, particularly by the man who championed her for the position, Ron Klain, the White House chief of staff.
Tanden apologized for her posts in two confirmation hearings — “I’m sorry, and I’m sorry for any hurt they’ve caused,” she said — but several Republican lawmakers, along with a key Democrat, nevertheless cited them in opposing her.
Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate West Virginia Democrat, said he would oppose Tanden’s confirmation given her past public comments.
Biden’s aides did not run Tanden’s potential nomination past a senator she has clashed with in the past, Sen. Bernie Sanders,
I-Vt., who chairs the Budget Committee. Sanders, who asked Tanden to explain her “vicious attacks” during one of her two confirmation hearings, said Thursday that he would not commit to backing her.
That has left her fate potentially in the hands of Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who remains publicly undecided. At least one moderate Democrat, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, has also not publicly committed to supporting Tanden.
Given that the Senate is evenly split and Manchin is opposed, Tanden would need to gain at least one Republican vote to win confirmation.
Sen. Mitt Romney, RUtah, had told mutual contacts he was inclined to give the president his pick, according to two people involved in the process. But after Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he would not vote to confirm Tanden, only one option was left on the table: Murkowski.
Even Romney decided he could not support a nominee “who has issued a thousand mean tweets.”
Murkowski could still vote to confirm Tanden; but for now, the senator is staying mum.