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NORTH AmERIcAN Newsline February 12, 2021 |
neWsmaKers oF the WeeK
neera tanden
Biden budget pick apologizes
for past tweets
resident Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Office of Man- national Security advisor
agement and Budget Neera Tanden during her first confir-
Pmation hearing on Tuesday apologized for her past tweets
and criticism that were directed at congressional Republicans.
Sen Rob Portman (R-Ohio) read out loud the list of tweets made
by Tanden where she referred to Sen Susan Collins (R-Maine)
as “the worst,” called Sen Tom Cotton (R-Ark) “a fraud,” stat-
ed that “vampires have more heart” than SenTed Cruz (R-Texas),
and compared then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
(R-Kentucky) to Voldemort (villain of Harry Potter series).
Portman asked Tanden at the Senate Homeland Security
Committee hearing if she could actually be bipartisan given her
track record, referring to her past comments. Portment said: “I
believe that the tone, the content and the aggressive partisanship
of some of your public statements have added to the troubling
trend of more incivility in our public life.”
Tanden said: “I deeply regret and apologize for my language
and some of my past language.” She said that she understands the
concern and takes responsibility for her language. “Over the last
few years, it’s been part of my role to be an impassioned advocate.
I understand, though, that the role of OMB director calls for bi-
partisan action, as well as a nonpartisan adherence to facts and
evidence,” she said.
Portman also questioned Tanden about deleting several of her
tweets before her confirmation hearing and why she had done
it. However, Tanden stated that she had deleted the tweets over
many months. She said: “I deleted tweets because I regretted my
tone, and I’ve deleted tweets over many months. For those con-
cerned about my rhetoric and my language, I am sorry and I am
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sorry for any hurt that they have caused.”
Tanden also highlighted that despite the rhetoric, she had
worked with right-leaning think tanks in the past. She also prom-
ised that if confirmed, she will vigorously work towards serving all
Americans in every corner of the country, regardless of the party.
On Wednesday, Tanden during her additional confirmation
hearing before the Senate Budget Committee was criticized and
questioned again about her social media history.
Senate Budget Chair Bernie Sanders said: “Your [Tanden] at-
tacks were not just made against Republicans. There were vicious
attacks against progressives, people who I have worked with —
me personally.” Tanden replied that she feels badly about it and
her approach will be radically different. Sanders and Tanden have
clashed several times in the past.
House lawmakers wrote: “It is important that the OMB Direc-
tor can lead this large office with sound judgment and bipartisan
civility. Unfortunately, Ms Tanden’s past conduct… raises ques-
tions about whether she would be able to provide such leadership.”
During former President Barack Obama, Tanden was a Senior
Adviser for Health Reform at the US Department of Health and
Human Services and is a long-time aide to the former secretary
of state and the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary
Clinton.
daleeP singh
Biden plans to name deputy
resident Joe Biden plans
to name Head of the
PMarkets Group at the
Federal Reserve Bank of New
York Daleep Singh as his Dep-
uty National Security Adviser.
The Federal Reserve Bank of
New York released a statement
on February 5, that stated that
Singh has stepped down from
his role at the bank and will be
joining the Biden administra-
tion in mid-February.
In the Biden administration,
Singh will also serve as Depu-
ty National Economic Coun-
cil Director in addition to his position on the National Security
Agency. He will be reporting to both National Security Adviser
Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian
Deese.
The BloombergQuint reported that in an email statement,
Sullivan said: “Daleep will be tasked with refocusing US interna-
tional economic policy on the needs of working Americans.”
Previously, from 2011 to 2017, Singh served as Acting Assistant
Secretary for Financial Markets and Deputy Assistant Secretary
for International Affairs at the US Department of the Treasury in
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