Sen. Joe Manchin said Friday that he opposes Neera Tanden’s nomination as president Biden’s budget director because of her insulting tweets, but Biden says she will not get her nomination.
Biden told reporters when he returned to Washington from a trip to Michigan that he said “no” he would not withdraw Tanden’s nomination, although she could now be rejected in the equally divided Senate.
Manchin (DW.V.) cites Tanden’s confrontational tweets against Republicans and Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont) of Vermont (I-Vt.) While serving as president of the Democratic Party Center for American Progress.
“I have thoroughly reviewed Neera Teeth’s public statements and tweets personally addressed to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, from Senator Sanders to Senator McConnell and others,” Manchin said.
‘I believe that her openly biased statements will have a toxic and detrimental effect on the important working relationship between members of Congress and the next director of the Office of Management and Budget. For this reason, I cannot support her nomination. ”
Manchin, a Conservative Democrat who is seen as a critical vote on controversial issues, said that “we must take sensible steps to end the political divisions and dysfunctions that permeate our politics.”
Teeth now needs Republican support to pass the Senate, but has alienated many conservative lawmakers with personal insults.
But Biden remains hopeful about Tanden’s candidacy Friday, telling reporters: “I think we’re going to find and confirm the votes.”
Teeth recently removed more than 1,000 of her tweets that attacked GOP senators, but also erased Sanders’ presidential bid in 2016 as Russia’s choice against the party’s favorite, Hillary Clinton.
Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) reminded her this month: ‘You wrote that Susan Collins is’ the worst ‘, that Tom Cotton is a deceiver, that vampires have more hearts than Ted Cruz, you have leader McConnell’ Moscow Called Mitch ‘. and Voldemort. ”
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) Said, “You called Senator Sanders anything but an ignorant slut.”
If confirmed, Tanden will hold a powerful position to implement Biden’s policy in the federal bureaucracy. Under former President Donald Trump, the budget office has instructed agencies to make New York, Portland and Seattle unfavorable to federal grants because they allegedly tolerated increasing crime or violent protests.
Teeth are scheduled for a confirmation hearing by the Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday. She has already had a confirmation hearing before the Sanders chair of the Senate Finance Committee this month.
In addition to her mean tweets, Sanders, a self-proclaimed socialist, said he was concerned about Teeth raising millions of dollars in corporate donations at the Center for American Progress.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday night that “Neera Tanden is a competent policy expert who will be an excellent budget director. We look forward to voting in committee next week and continuing her confirmation by through engagement with both parties. “