Neera Tanden, President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as the White House budget director, saw her confirmation hopes dim after key senators from both parties said they would oppose her confirmation, CNN reports.
West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin put Tanden’s hopes of being confirmed as the head of the Office of Management and Budget in jeopardy on Friday, announcing that he would vote against her confirmation over disparaging tweets Tanden targeted at lawmakers for years.
"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," he said. "For this reason, I cannot support her nomination."
Tanden has faced backlash for her tweets at her confirmation hearing.
"I regret that language and take responsibility for it," she said.
Collins says no:
With Manchin out, Democrats will need to find at least one Republican vote to be able to confirm Tanden. Maine Sen. Susan Collins said it would not be her.
"Congress has to be able to trust the OMB director to make countless decisions in an impartial manner, carrying out the letter of the law and congressional intent," Collins said in a statement on Monday. "Neera Tanden has neither the experience nor the temperament to lead this critical agency. Her past actions have demonstrated exactly the kind of animosity that President Biden has pledged to transcend."
Collins added that Tanden’s decision to delete her offending tweets "raises concerns about her commitment to transparency."
A spokesperson for Mitt Romney said he would not support Tanden’s confirmation either.
Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski has not said how she will vote.
Schumer vows to drum up support:
Schumer told reporters over the weekend that he and Biden will work to “find the extra votes” so Tanden can be confirmed.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki posted a tweet backing Tanden despite the falling hopes that she will be confirmed.
"Neera Tanden=accomplished policy expert, would be 1st Asian American woman to lead OMB, has lived experience having benefitted from a number of federal programs as a kid, looking ahead to the committee votes this week and continuing to work toward her confirmation," Psaki tweeted.
