Senate Democrats offer fresh support for embattled Tanden

Senate Democrats on Tuesday made a fresh show of support for President Biden’s embattled nominee to lead the White House budget office, Neera Tanden.

Tanden’s confirmation is on the rocks after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and a slew of centrist Republicans announced they would vote against her confirmation, citing harsh tweets she wrote as head of the Center for American Progress.

“The controversy about Neera is largely over her social media comments, which could be leveled at virtually all of us,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said at a confirmation hearing for Shalanda Young to be the Office of Management and Budget deputy director.

At her own confirmation hearings, Tanden repeatedly apologized and expressed regrets for tweets that targeted both Republicans and progressive Democrats.

Kaine raised the prospect that Tanden was facing a double standard, given that nominees with similar or worse records had successfully been confirmed despite mean or harsh rhetoric.

“We faced so many nominees in the past administration that had really intemperate things to say on social media accounts, including about me,” Kaine said.

“But they apologized, and when they apologized, their apologies were accepted by virtually all Republicans, and a lot of Democrats,” he said.

Democrats have noted that the Biden nominees facing the toughest confirmation battles are people of color, including Tanden, Health and Human Services nominee Xavier Becerra and Interior nominee Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.).

Without Manchin’s support, Tanden would need to win at least one GOP vote to be confirmed. All eyes are on Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), who said she remained undecided after meeting with Tanden on Monday evening.

Some Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who chairs the budget committee and called Tanden’s tweets against progressives “vicious,” have yet to announce their positions on Tanden’s confirmation.

Besides Kaine, several other senators on the committee went out of their way to express support for Tanden, including Democratic Sens. Patty Murray (Wash.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and Mark Warner (Va.).

Young herself spoke up in defense of her would-be boss, saying they would make a “great team.”

“I certainly think before this committee you saw Neera Tanden apologize profusely about the tweets. I think what you also saw is an expansive knowledge of various policy areas,” she said.

In an uncomfortable moment at the hearing, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) alluded to the fact that Young’s name has been floated as a potential replacement in the event that Tanden’s nomination falls.

“You may be more than deputy, you may be the sheriff,” he said in an exchange about reducing fraudulent tax payments, adding, “I don’t expect you to comment on that.”

After a pause, Young replied, “Thank you, sir.”