Neera Tanden, Joe Biden’s Budget office nominee, withdraws nomination

President Joe Biden’s nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget, Neera Tanden, has withdrawn her nomination after facing intense opposition from Senate for her controversial tweets.

Tanden’s withdrawal is the first high-profile defeat of one of Biden’s nominees. Eleven of the 23 Cabinet nominees requiring Senate approval have been confirmed, most with strong bipartisan support.

“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 wrote in a letter to Biden, Associated Press reported.

The president, in a statement, wished her well and said he has “utmost respect for her record of accomplishment, her experience and her counsel.”

Tanden’s nomination fell in doubt after Democrat Senator Joe Manchin and many moderate Republicans rallied against her last month due to her tweets attacking members of both parties prior to her nomination.

Biden also said that he will find her another role in his administration.