US President-elect Joe Biden, who nominates Indian-American Neera Tanden as his Director of the Office of Management and Budget, has had trouble with some of the top Republican senators who openly oppose the election because of to his “combative and insulting comments” about many members of the Senate.
Tanden, 50, if confirmed by the Senate, would be the first woman of color and the first American Indian to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
OMB serves the President of the United States in overseeing the implementation of his vision throughout the Executive Branch. Specifically, OMB’s mission is to help the president meet his policy, budget, management, and regulatory objectives, and fulfill the agency’s statutory responsibilities.
Tanden’s career has focused on implementing policies designed to support working families, foster broad-based economic growth, and curb rampant inequality.
Influential Senator John Cornyn, who is also co-chair of the Indian Senate Caucus, described Tanden as Biden’s worst nominee yet, saying: “I think in light of his combative and insulting comments about many members of the Senate, mainly on our side of the aisle, which certainly creates a troublesome path to confirmation. ”
In an interaction with reporters, Cornyn said that Tanden “deleted a lot of his previous tweets in recent weeks, which seems quite youthful, like people don’t have access to them.
“I’m a little surprised that he did that and didn’t even consult with any Republicans. Some of this can be avoided with a little warning and consultation, ”Cornyn said.
In a tweet, he alleged that Tanden deleted more than 1,000 tweets, including criticism of Republicans.
The Republican Party has 50 senators in the 100-member United States Senate, and the Democrats have 48 in their kitty. Elections for the two Senate seats in Georgia are scheduled for January 5.
Tanden, who has 313,400 followers on Twitter, where she is quite active, had been highly critical of Republican senators and President Donald Trump in the past.
In one of his tweets, Tanden had referred to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as “Moscow Mitch.” He is reported to have deleted many of his tweets criticizing Republican senators.
According to The Washington Examiner, Tanden has deleted more than 1,000 tweets in anticipation of a tough confirmation vote.
Tanden’s deleted tweets include, for example, multiple posts expressing disapproval of Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a centrist Republican who has been known to vote with Democrats on some issues and is considered a “swing” vote.
However, he did leave a 2018 tweet calling Collins “pathetic” for supporting the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Senate, “the newspaper said.
Republican Senator John Thune alleged that Tanden has been quite partisan in some of his previous positions and in many cases with respect to Republican senators who have to vote on his possible nomination.
Sen. Rick Scott of Florida alleged that Tanden is a big-government, big-spending radical liberal who is a terrible choice for OMB’s director.
“It’s further proof that Biden and the Democrats will continue to move further and further to the left,” he said.
However, some of the top Democratic senators also appreciated his nomination.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, speaking in the Senate room, alleged that Republicans are turning into pretzels to explain their thoughtful opposition to these prominent selections.
“Neera Tanden, who would be the first woman of color to head the Office of Management and Budget, is so eminently qualified that some on the Republican side, clinging to straws, have opposed comments made on Twitter that criticize political positions. Republicans in Congress, ”said Schumer, a Democrat.
“Honestly, the hypocrisy is amazing. If Republicans are concerned about criticism on Twitter, their complaints are best directed at President Trump, who has made it a pastime to denigrate Republican senators on Twitter. I hope to see some crocodile tears shed across the aisle over the president-elect’s cabinet nominees. But it will be very difficult to take those crocodile tears seriously, ”said Schumer.
Sen. Mazie K Hirono said Tanden is a highly qualified nominee whose professional and lived experience makes her an excellent choice to lead the WBO.
“As someone who depended on food stamps and public housing growing up, Neera understands the transformative role and responsibility of government programs to help individuals and families across our country,” said the Democratic senator.
House Majority Leader Steny H Hoyer said he has worked closely with Tanden for several years.
“I know it will be a huge asset to President-elect Biden as he works with Congress to invest in a stronger economy for all Americans,” said the Democratic Party leader.
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