Indian-origin American Neera Tanden elected as senior adviser to Joe Biden

Indian-American Neera Tanden will now join the US administration as a senior adviser to President Joe Biden, reports ANI. She was earlier announced to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) but she withdrew her nomination amid controversy.

Releasing a statement, founder of Center for American Progress (CAP) John Podesta said Tanden’s experience and political savvy will add more value to the US administration as she assumes her new role.

He added during Tanden’s tenure at CAP, she developed many of the policy solutions under the Biden administration.

Tanden was president and CEO of CAP and CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

In March 2021, Tanden withdrew her nomination as director of the White House OMB as the Democrats failed to secure enough votes in the Senate to secure her confirmation.

Her tweets about some members of the Senate created a controversy and Republican senators blocked her confirmation. Biden accepted her withdrawal but promised to offer a position in his administration. 

During her Senate approval hearing in February, she tried to amend her previous statements and said it was important for her to show that she can work with others and can take that burden. She apologised to Democrats and Republicans for her tweets.

The 50-year-old also served as director of domestic policy during Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and was responsible for all domestic policy proposals.