President Joe Biden accepted a withdrawal letter from OMB Director nominee Neera Tanden late on Tuesday after Tanden faced bipartisan opposition due to snide remarks that she made online toward Senators.
“I am writing to you to withdraw my nomination for Director of the Office of Management and Budget,” Tanden said. “It has been an honor of a lifetime to be considered for this role and for the faith placed in me. I appreciate how hard you and your team at the White House has worked to win my confirmation.”
“Unfortunately, it now seems clear that there is no path forward to gain confirmation, and I do not want continued consideration of my nomination to be a distraction from your other priorities,” Tanden continued. “I am incredibly grateful for your leadership on behalf of the American people and for your agenda that will make such a transformative difference in people’s lives.”
Biden responded to Tanden removing her name from consideration by praising her and saying he still wants her to be in his administration.
“I have accepted Neera Tanden’s request to withdraw her name from nomination for Director of the Office of Management and Budget,” Biden said. “I have the utmost respect for her record of accomplishment, her experience and her counsel, and I look forward to having her serve in a role in my Administration. She will bring valuable perspective and insight to our work.”
“Tanden was facing bipartisan opposition from senators due to past intemperate comments she made on her Twitter feed,” The Washington Post reported. “Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) announced last month that he would oppose her, meaning Tanden would need the support of at least one Republican to be confirmed in the evenly divided Senate.”
Online, Twitter users who helped resurface some of her old tweets cheered, with one popular Twitter account writing: “Shout-out @neeratanden. You can’t see this because you blocked me, but I want you to know, it was truly an honor and a pleasure sinking your OMB nomination.”
Shout-out @neeratanden
You can't see this because you blocked me, but I want you to know, it was truly an honor and a pleasure sinking your OMB nomination
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) March 2, 2021
Republican strategist Matt Whitlock commented: “Can’t emphasize enough how big a failure this is for Ron Klain, who should’ve been working the phones.”
Former Bernie Sanders campaign adviser David Sirota wrote: “The reason to celebrate the end of Neera Tanden’s nomination has nothing to do with her late-night out-of-control rage-tweeting and everything to do with her record. She is not a victim — she is a perpetrator.”
Progressive journalist Aaron Mate mocked Tanden, writing: “Biden should immediately appoint Neera Tanden Special Counsel to investigate whether Russian bots were responsible for spiking her nomination.”
The Club for Growth added: “Club for Growth is proud to have helped defeat Neera Tanden’s nomination to be the next Director of OMB. Tanden is an architect of Obamacare, cheerleader for the Green New Deal, and advocate for socialism in America. Her defeat is a win for America and our economy.”
Club for Growth is proud to have helped defeat Neera Tanden’s nomination to be the next Director of OMB. Tanden is an architect of Obamacare, cheerleader for the Green New Deal, and advocate for socialism in America. Her defeat is a win for America and our economy. https://t.co/PsU73rMOzF
— Club for Growth (@club4growth) March 3, 2021
This report has been updated to include additional information.