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“It’s pretty crazy for me to think that she can go back and… weed out all the tweets she’s sent over the past few months, years. And I think that’s really an administration faux pas, ”said Cornyn, who also occasionally struggles on Twitter. “I’m really a little surprised, especially on the OMB candidate, that there was at least no consultation. I mean some of these problems can be avoided. And the people, you know, saved from embarrassment.
While Democrats praised Tanden on his passionate advocacy career and understanding how government support can help families, his most immediate problem is a very modern one: a Twitter account that has often criticized Republican senators. Perhaps aware of this, she appears to have deleted over 1,000 tweets in the past two weeks, but that may have only fueled Republican acrimony further.
“She’s been quite partisan in some of her previous positions. And in many cases, with regard to which Republican senators should vote on his potential candidacy, ”said Senator John Thune (RS.D.), the GOP whip. He did not pledge whether Tanden would receive a Republican-controlled floor vote and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
A notable attack was directed against Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) in 2018 for voting to uphold Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh; she called Collins, a key swing vote, “a false advocate of Roe v. Wade” in a statement and accused her of “utter deception” in describing Kavanaugh’s stance on birth control.
John Podesta, the former White House chief of staff who Tanden took over as president of the Center for American Progress, said Tanden had “drawn a little more fire from some sides” than Biden’s other candidates for this day.
But he urged Republican senators to look beyond Tanden’s Twitter thread and focus on his record.
“If they know her or if they meet her or speak with her, they will recognize the depth of her knowledge, the fact that she is a person of the highest integrity,” Podesta said. “If they give her a fair hearing, I think she’ll convince them.”
Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.), who is online to lead the Budget Committee that would oversee Tanden’s confirmation, said of Tanden: “She had a lot to say. It will be a long hearing. Climb.”
Asked for comments, a spokesperson for Biden’s transition pointed to Biden’s statement on Monday praising Tanden and other members of his economic team as “respected and tested revolutionary officials.”
Still, Tanden won’t need to win the unanimous support of the GOP – far from it. Even if Democrats lose both races in Georgia and are stuck with a 52-48 Republican majority, they would just need two Republicans to vote for Tanden if all Democrats are backing it.
“If we don’t take back the Senate, it could be a challenge,” said Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). “But let’s see what happens. I don’t know how many Republicans are really going to go after someone who has the kind of training and experience she has to deal with all of the policy implementation that the OMB does.
And the good news for Tanden is that some of the Senators most predisposed to helping Biden get his Cabinet are undecided. Collins said all she knew about Tanden was that she had heard that she was a very prolific Twitter user.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said he was unfamiliar with Tanden, but will review his case and “give him a very thorough assessment before making a decision.” Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she “knew nothing about this woman other than apparently she caused a lot of controversy.”
Tanden’s appointment has even had Democrats scratching their heads, wondering how she will get to the upper house unscathed.
“When I learned last night that she was going to be the selection, my first response was ‘can it be confirmed?’” Said a Democratic House lawmaker who backs Tanden’s nomination and asked stay in the background to frankly discuss the choice. “How the hell are they going to confirm it?”
Under President Donald Trump, Senate Republicans passed out former radical GOP representative Mick Mulvaney as OMB leader, then replaced him with Russ Vought – a former official in the lobbying arm of the curator Heritage Foundation.
“Honestly, the hypocrisy is staggering,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. “If Republicans are concerned about criticism on Twitter, their complaints are best directed at President Trump, who has made a hobby of disparaging Republicans on Twitter.
The OMB is a critical body at the heart of any administration’s fiscal and regulatory agenda, charged with implementing the President’s vision for the country across the federal government. And Democrats appreciate that Tanden relied on public assistance programs when she grew up, giving her a deep understanding of her agency’s mission.
“After my parents divorced when I was young, my mother relied on public food and housing programs to survive. Now, I am nominated to help keep these programs safe and ensure that families like mine can live with dignity, ”Tanden said Monday afternoon on Twitter.
Under the Biden administration, the head of the OMB could play a central role in implementing an ambitious climate agenda or expanding healthcare for millions of Americans through rule making in federal agencies. Tanden – an outspoken Democratic agent and activist with extensive policy knowledge and a seasoned veteran of the Sunday shows – could easily fill the post.
Democrats see it as effective at communicating the president’s annual budget proposal to Congress and detailing the president’s wishlist and funding priorities. In addition to preparing an annual budget, the OMB is the last safety net for all federal policies, where rules are either approved for implementation or quickly disappear.
If confirmed, Tanden would be the first woman of color and only the third woman to lead the agency behind Sylvia Mathews Burwell, who was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 2013, and Alice Rivlin, who also founded the Congressional Budget Office and served as vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.
Progressive senators and liberal groups hailed Biden’s choice of Tanden after fearing the president-elect would pick Bruce Reed, a former Biden chief of staff considered by progressives to be a deficit hawk. Despite initial questions about whether progressives would embrace Tanden for OMB, the senses. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) And Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) signaled they would vote to confirm it Monday. Sanders, who has clashed with Tanden and his organization in the past, has yet to comment on the appointment.
Jeff Hauser, who founded the Liberal Revolving Door Project, said he believed it was possible that Tanden could get enough GOP votes as a qualified candidate and seasoned communicator.
And if Senate Republicans categorically reject Tanden, it could push Biden to play “hardball,” Hauser said. The administration could make aggressive use of the Vacancy Act, exploit suspension appointing powers, or install Tanden in a position of power that does not require Senate confirmation.
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