Biden Stokes First Nomination Fight With Pick for Budget Chief
- GOP Senators call Neera Tanden’s nomination an uphill battle
- Opposition is focused on her Twitter insults of Republicans
Neera Tanden speaks at the “Impeachment Now!” rally in Washington, D.C. in Sept. 2019.
Photographer: Paul Morigi/Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden is setting up his first confirmation fight with Senate Republicans by choosing Neera Tanden -- a sometimes-acerbic Democratic policy wonk with an often-partisan Twitter feed -- to serve as his White House budget chief.
Tanden, the tough-minded head of an influential Democratic think tank, is a veteran Hillary Clinton aide seasoned in Washington battles over Obamacare and Donald Trump’s presidency. Her selection Monday as Biden’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget drew swift objections from GOP senators who could block her confirmation, with Senator John Cornyn of Texas calling her selection “radioactive.”