Neera Tanden Appointed As White House Staff Secretary After OMB Nomination Derailed Over Past Tweets

Neera Tanden is set to be the new White House staff secretary following a difficult nomination to be the leader of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and, ultimately, a failure to secure support for the OMB position. 

A White House official confirmed the announcement to Fox News on Friday, with the outlet noting that Tanden has “been serving as a White House senior adviser, prior to her appointment as staff secretary.”

The Washington Post reported, “The staff secretary, who reports to the chief of staff, traditionally plays the role of both traffic cop and honest broker in the White House, with control over the documents that make it to the president, whether they be briefing books or decision memos laying out the arguments on major decisions.”

After her nomination failed, President Joe Biden reportedly said he would put her in a position in his administration.

“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 in March.

The tension surrounding Tanden’s nomination mostly centered on her past tweets.

As The Daily Wire reported in March, “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.” 

“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