Biden to appoint Neera Tanden as domestic policy advisor after her failed bid to lead OMB

On Friday, President Biden announced that Neera Tanden will be replacing Ambassador Susan Rice as Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Advisor.

Tanden was nominated by Biden in 2021 to head the Office of Management and Budget. In March of that year though, Biden accepted her request to withdraw her name from nomination after contentious press and backlash from the GOP.

"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," Biden said at the time.

Tanden’s nomination was withdrawn over a lack of congressional support following criticism of previous Twitter posts. Tanden deleted over 1,000 tweets in the days leading up to her confirmation hearing, but most of them were saved by members of the media.

In regard to Tanden’s newest assignment, Biden said, "For over two years, Susan Rice has helped craft and implement my domestic policy agenda and our country owes a debt of gratitude for her history-making public service. I am pleased to announce that Neera Tanden will continue to drive the formulation and implementation of my domestic policy, from economic mobility and racial equity to health care, immigration and education."

"As Senior Advisor and Staff Secretary, Neera oversaw decision-making processes across my domestic, economic and national security teams. She has 25 years of experience in public policy, has served three Presidents, and led one of the largest think tanks in the country for nearly a decade," Biden added.

Biden said that Tanden had been a "key architect" of the Affordable Care Act "and helped drive key domestic policies that became part of my agenda, including clean energy subsidies and sensible gun reform."

"While growing up, Neera relied on some of the critical programs that she will oversee as Domestic Policy Advisor, and I know those insights will serve my Administration and the American people well. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Neera in her new role," Biden said.

In the same announcement, Biden said that Stefanie Feldman will be serving as Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary and  Zayn Siddique will be promoted to Principal Deputy of the Domestic Policy Council.

Tanden’s nomination to the Office of Management and Budget would not pass the previous split Congress after Sens. Joe Manchin, Mitt Romney, and Susan Collins said they would vote against her given her history of unhinged tweets against pretty much everyone on both sides of the congressional aisle.

Some of her tweets reportedly included comparing Senator Mitch McConnell to Harry Potter villain Voldemort, and stating that “vampires have more heart” than Senator Ted Cruz.

Tanden’s tweets were also questioned by Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who said he and others had been targets of Tanden’s "vicious attack," particularly when Sanders ran against Hillary Clinton, whom Tanden had been an advisor, for the 2016 Democratic nomination.

At her confirmation hearings, Tanden said, "I deeply regret and apologize for my language, and some of my past language."