Why Biden Budget Pick Neera Tanden Already Faces Republican Opposition

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Neera Tanden would make history as the first woman of color to head the Office of Management and Budget, but she’s already faced strong pushback from Senate Republicans.





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«Budgets are not abstractions, Tanden said in her remarks on Tuesday. «They are a reflection of our values. They touch our lives in profound ways and sometimes they make all the difference.

Her compelling personal story may help Tanden peel off a Republican vote or two in order to win confirmation, says Jennifer Palmieri, who worked with Tanden in the Clinton administration and at the Center for American Progress.

«I have noted that women, and particularly women of color, often draw the most fire and draw fire first, Palmieri said. «But there’s no doubt that she is qualified.

Palmieri adds that yes, Tanden is partisan, passionate and has been vocal about her views, but she questions whether Senate Republicans would really want to «get in the way of the first woman of color, the first Asian American, to hold the budget post when she’s obviously very qualified for it.

John Podesta, whom Tanden succeeded at the Center for American Progress, argues that if Republicans intend to block her, they’re going to have to come up with something better than tweets.

«Donald Trump’s tweets don’t seem to bother them, so they may want to get over that and look at her for the tremendous talent that she is, Podesta said.

If partisanship is the question, there is precedent. Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s first budget director, was a partisan combatant in Congress before joining the administration. He faced a difficult confirmation and a narrow vote, but was eventually confirmed in a GOP-led Senate. Tanden may face a similar fate.

The tradition of the Senate largely deferring to a president’s cabinet choices (within reason and barring major controversy) appears to be yet another vestige of the past.

If confirmed, Tanden will likely face budget fights with a narrowly divided Congress as the nation emerges from the pandemic next year. Podesta and Palmieri both say that while Republicans won’t agree with Tanden, she is someone they’ll be able to negotiate with because she knows the policy and will be able to speak for the president.