Neera Tanden’s nomination hearing by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is likely to be a controversial confirmation battle of the Biden administration.
A Senate panel announced on Tuesday that the confirmation hearing of Indian American political consultant Neera Tanden would be held on February 9. President Joe Biden had nominated Tanden as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
According to various media reports, Tanden’s nomination hearing by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is likely to be a controversial confirmation battle of the Biden administration. Republican senators allege that before her confirmation, Tanden deleted over 1,000 tweets, which include criticism against Republicans.
After Biden announced her nomination, co-chair of the Senate India Caucus Senator John Cornyn said: “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 to confirmation.”
During the nomination, Biden said Tanden is “a brilliant policy mind with critical practical experience across government.” He added: “She was raised by a single mom on food stamps, an immigrant from India who struggled, worked hard, and did everything she could for her daughter to live out her American dream. And Neera did just that. She understands the struggles that millions of Americans are facing.”
Tanden would become the first woman of color and Indian American to lead the OMB if she gets confirmed. OMB’s duties include producing the president’s budget, assisting the President of the United States to meet policies, management, and regulatory objectives, and meeting the agency’s statutory responsibilities.
Currently, Tanden is the Chief Executive of the Center for American Progress. Under former President Barack Obama, she helped in passing the Affordable Care Act. She is also a long-time aide to the former secretary of state and the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
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