With No Path to Confirmation, Neera Tanden Withdraws as OMB Nominee
Biden likely to find another opportunity for the talented head of the Center for American Progress
President Biden accepted the inevitable yesterday and accepted the decision of Neera Tanden to withdraw as his nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget. Both Tanden’s and Biden’s decisions were good ones. With the decision of Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) to oppose the nomination, there was no path forward.
Since Tanden’s name was first put forward for OMB, it was clear that confirmation would be difficult. Her record as an aggressive partisan tweeter made her a questionable choice, especially for a President who said he wanted to work with Republicans. The choice was especially surprising in light of the 50–50 power split in the Senate.
Withdrawal with grace
In her withdrawal letter to the President, Tanden demonstrated the type of grace that also characterized her confirmation hearing. In part, Tanden wrote:
I appreciate how hard you and your team at the White House has worked to win my confirmation. Unfortunately, it now seems clear that there is no path…
