Washington, United States:
Democratic Senator Joe Manchin announced Friday he will oppose the confirmation of Neera Tanden, Joe Biden’s choose to lead the price range at the White House, potentially sinking her probabilities in a setback for the US president.
Tanden, the initially lady of Indian descent to be appointed to head the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has been the target of bipartisan criticism considering the fact that Biden nominated her in November.
While she has earned the enmity of Republicans by way of her biting Twitter feed, Tanden has also come beneath fire from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
“I believe her overtly partisan statements will have a toxic and detrimental impact on the important working relationship between members of Congress and the next director of the Office of Management and Budget,” wrote Manchin, a moderate Democrat.
“For this reason, I cannot support her nomination.”
The OMB is a potent division accountable for building the president’s price range and evaluating the projects and expenditures of his division secretaries.
The Democrats have a slim majority in the Senate, which has the energy to confirm or reject presidential nominations: with 50 seats against 50 Republicans, they can count on the vote of Vice President Kamala Harris, who has the energy to break the tie.
But with Joe Manchin’s opposition, Tanden will most probably require at least one Republican for confirmation — an unlikely prospect.
Biden showed himself determined on Friday to keep the course. “No,” he replied to reporters who asked him if he was providing up his nomination.
“Neera Tanden is an accomplished policy expert who would be an excellent Budget Director,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki mentioned Friday, saying she continues to work for her confirmation with “both parties.”
A initially test will take location next week with a procedural vote scheduled for Wednesday in the Senate Budget Committee.
Tanden, 50, chief executive of the Center for American Progress, a liberal Washington believe-tank, has been an outspoken critic of former president Donald Trump.
Some supporters of Bernie Sanders accuse Tanden of assisting former initially lady Hillary Clinton thwart the Vermont senator’s 2016 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
During her profession, she has focused on implementing policies developed to assistance working households, foster financial development and lower endemic inequalities, Biden’s group mentioned on announcing her appointment.
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