Biden’s budget czar pick hit from both right & left

President-elect Joe Biden is drawing criticism from both ends of the political spectrum for tapping Neera Tanden to serve as his White House budget czar, potentially complicating her quest for Senate confirmation.

Tanden (photo), a veteran Democratic operative who currently heads the Center for American Progress think tank, has long been a thorn in the side of both Republicans and progressive Democrats, with one faction saying she’s too liberal and the other saying she’s not liberal enough.

Still, Biden rolled the dice and announced Monday he will nominate Tanden as his director of the Office of Management and Budget, which produces and executes the president’s economic proposals.

Tanden said she was “beyond honored” to get the nod.

“After my parents were divorced when I was young, my mother relied on public food and housing programs to get by. Now, I’m being nominated to help ensure those programs are secure, and ensure families like mine can live with dignity,” she said in a tweet.

But multiple Republican senators suggested Tanden’s nomination will be dead in the water, citing her prolific usage of Twitter to troll and castigate conservatives.

“Filled with hate & guided by the woke left,” tweeted Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). “She’s unfit to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of Senate GOP leadership, piled on, calling her Biden’s “worst nominee so far.”

“I think, in light of her combative and insulting comments about many members of the Senate, mainly on our side of the aisle, that it creates certainly a problematic path,” Cornyn told reporters on Capitol Hill.

The fate of many of Biden’s cabinet-level nominees ultimately hinges on a couple of Senate runoff elections in Georgia slated for Jan. 5, with political control of the chamber hanging in the balance.

However, progressives suggested Tanden could face an uphill battle for confirmation even if Democrats flip the Senate.

Other Senate Democrats came to Tanden’s defense. “She’s brilliant and laser-focused on making our country a fairer place for all,” tweeted Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

A source close to Biden’s transition team suggested the president-elect is mostly concerned by the Republican pushback and believes Democratic senators will ultimately support Tanden.