[ad_1]
President Biden stands behind a pair of Cabinet picks in the face of difficult battles – including Neera Tanden, his candidate for the leadership of the Bureau of Management and Budget, and Xavier Becerra, his pick for secretary of the ministry of Health and Human Services – as a growing number of senators have vowed to oppose their confirmations.
Tanden’s confirmation appears to be most at risk after several swing-voting senators – including at least one Democrat – announced plans to vote against his confirmation. The former president of the Liberal Center for American Progress was repeatedly criticized during her confirmation hearing, as Republicans pointed to hostile tweets she had posted against various lawmakers – many of which she had deleted at the end of last year.
CONSERVATIVES CALL OFFER CHOICE FOR HHS XAVIER BECERRA AN “ EXTREMIST, ” AGAINST APPOINTMENT
During that hearing, Senator Ron Portman, R-Ohio, gave examples of “some of the thousands of negative public statements” Tanden has made. These included her appeal to Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, “the worst” and Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark., A “fraud”, saying that “vampires have more hearts than Ted Cruz”, and referring at the time – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as “Moscow Mitch” and “Voldemort”, referring to the villain of Harry Potter.
Portman said that even after Tanden deleted the tweets, there were still nine pages of messages left on Cruz that were still live.
“I wonder, in particular, how do you plan to mend the fences and build relationships with the members of Congress that you have attacked by your public statements?” Portman asked.
President Biden sits alongside Xavier Becerra and Neera Tanden amid uphill confirmation battles (Getty Images)
“I recognize the concern,” Tanden replied. “I deeply regret and apologize for my language – part of my old language. I recognize that this role is a bipartisan role, and I know that I must earn the trust of senators on all sides. I will work in such a way. very aggressive in addressing this concern. “
COLLINS OPPOSES TANDEN FOR BUDGET DIRECTOR BIDEN, IN ANOTHER STROKE OF CONFIRMATION
Tanden said she hopes to work “in a bipartisan, non-partisan manner,” while acknowledging that “it’s up to me to prove it to this committee and to the membership.”
But following the hearing, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, DW.V., said he would oppose his nomination, citing his tweets and saying his “ overtly partisan statements will have a toxic and damaging impact. on the important working relationship between members of Congress and the next director of the Bureau of Management and Budget. “
“For this reason, I cannot support his nomination,” Manchin said.
Manchin’s opposition meant Tanden will need Republican support. But that effort to woo a Republican was hampered when Collins also said on Monday that she would vote against Tanden – dealing another blow to her confirmation.
“Congress must be able to trust the director of OMB to make countless decisions impartially, within the letter of the law and the intention of Congress,” Collins said in a statement Monday. “Neera Tanden does not have the experience or the temperament to run this critical agency.”
But the White House still stands behind her, vowing not to withdraw her candidacy, even though it’s unclear how Tanden will muster enough votes.
“The president appointed her because he thought she would be brilliant,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday, noting her experience.
When asked if they still thought his confirmation was possible, Psaki replied, “Yes.”
Meanwhile, another Biden pick faces close scrutiny, with Becerra preparing for his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday as Republicans signaled their intention to focus on trying to torpedo his nomination. But he could also have problems with the Democrats: Manchin’s office says he hasn’t decided whether he will back Becerra.
More than 100 Tories sent a memo to Republican members of Congress outlining their concerns over Becerra’s appointment, calling him an “extremist” who would carry a liberal agenda if upheld.
MANCHIN OPPOSES BIDEN OMB CHOOSE NEERA TANDEN OVER CONTROVERSIAL TWITTERS
“Becerra has shown neither the judgment, character, nor respect for human life necessary to run the agency with such influence on the basic rights of all Americans,” they continued. “Under his leadership, we believe that HHS – an agency that should protect human life, dignity and enshrine the values of religious freedom – would be used for partisan and destructive purposes.”
They added: “For all these reasons, we urge the Senate to firmly reject his confirmation.”
Conservative groups have also disputed that Becerra is leading the HHS amid the coronavirus pandemic, saying he has “no health care experience” and that instead a doctor or a public health expert should head the department.
Biden’s transition spokesman Andrew Bates defended Becerra, saying he had “decades of experience in health policy, working with Republicans and Democrats to expand access to COVID treatments and attack the opioid manufacturers, while running the nation’s largest state justice department. “
Bates added that Becerra also has “a strong track record of fighting to reduce costs for patients.”
BIDEN OMB PICK TANDEN CALLED DURING CONFIRMATION HEARING FOR ANTI-GOP TWEETS, SAYS “ I’M SORRY ”
“This is why President Biden chose this trained and tested leader to be at the forefront of the pandemic response and to help reduce drug prices,” Bates said. “We look forward to his hearings and confirmation votes.”
And Psaki on Monday, in his briefing, said Becerra “helped push through the affordable care law” and “brings decades of experience in health care policy to the table.”
Psaki highlighted Becerra’s work as California attorney general, saying he “has fought alongside his Republican counterparts to expand access to COVID treatments.”
Despite conservative opposition, Biden’s transition team told Fox News that Becerra was eager to “work in good faith with members of both parties in Congress.”
Meanwhile, Biden’s pick for Attorney General Judge Merrick Garland also appeared this week for his confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Garland has been pressed on topical issues, but committee lawmakers, including Republicans, have indicated he will likely be confirmed.
Megan Henney, Brittany De Lea and Paul Steinhauser of Fox News contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link