The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC) and Budget Committees postponed planned business meetings on Wednesday, where Neera Tanden, President Biden’s choice to be the director of the Budget and Management Office, was due to vote.
An official warning that Tanden marking has been delayed has come out on the HSGAC website. A well-known source told Fox News that “Tanden’s budgeting has been postponed” just before the Budget Committee sent its official notification.
Tanden’s nomination was on shaky ground ahead of the committee’s scheduled vote after Senator Joe Manchin, DW.Va., and many Republicans said they would oppose his nomination last week. Now it is even more in doubt to cancel the two votes of the committee.
Neera Tanden, nominated by President Joe Biden as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), appears before an audience of the Senate Budget Committee at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, February 10, 2021. (Photo AP / Andrew Harnik, Pool)
NEERA TANDEN, XAVIER BECERRA UNDER FIRE WHEN BIDEN’S NOMINATES FIGHT TO SURVIVE CONFIRMATION BATTLES
“I carefully reviewed Neera Tanden’s public statements and tweets that were personally addressed to my colleagues on both sides of the corridor, from Senator Sanders to Senator McConnell and others,” said Manchin. “I believe that your openly partisan statements will have a toxic and damaging impact on the important working relationship between members of Congress and the next director of the Office of Administration and Budget.”
Fox News asked the White House if it had withdrawn Tanden’s nomination. White House press secretary Jen Psaki responded with a statement praising Tanden.
“Neera Tanden is a leading policy expert who brings essential qualifications to the table during this time of unprecedented crisis,” said Psaki. “She also has an important perspective and values, understanding firsthand the powerful difference that politics can make in the lives of those who are going through difficult times. She has a broad spectrum of support, ranging from the United States Chamber of Commerce to unions, and has a strong track record of working with both parties that we hope to grow in President Biden’s office as the first South Asian woman to lead the OMB. “
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Fox News did not receive immediate responses to requests for comment from Sens offices. Rob Portman, R-Ohio and Gary Peters, D-Mich., HSGAC’s senior member and president for comments. The office of moderate Senator Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., Who sits on HSGAC, also did not respond immediately.
Senator Lisa Murkowski’s office, R-Alaska, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether she had made a decision on how she would vote for Tanden’s nomination. Murkowski is considered one of the last Republicans who can vote for Tanden, thus canceling Manchin’s defection and allowing Tanden to be confirmed.
This is a developing story. Please check again for updates.
Jason Donner of Fox News contributed to this report.