US President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate Indian-American  Neera Tanden as the director of the Office of Management and Budget, making her the first woman of colour to head the influential position, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Tanden, who is currently chief executive of the Center for American Progress, is a part of Biden’s plan to build a team of liberal and centrist economic advisers to serve alongside planned Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen, The Wall Street Journal said.

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As head of the OMB, the 50-year-old will be responsible for preparing the administration’s budget submission and command several hundred budget analysts, economists and policy advisers with deep knowledge of the inner workings of the government.

Before taking the reins at the Center for American Progress, a centre-left think tank, Tanden was a healthcare adviser in former President Barack Obama’s administration. She was also an adviser for Democrat Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

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Just like Obama, Biden will inherit a struggling economy facing serious near-term challenges.

However, the current situations are unprecedented with nearly 14 million Americans, many who used to be employed in the restaurant and hospitality industries, are receiving unemployment benefits that expire on December 26, and the coronavirus’ continued surge means there is no telling when they might be able to go back to work.

Likely, Biden’s economic agenda will focus on getting the country past the coronavirus crisis, both as a health and economic issue. A lot will depend on the passage of a pandemic relief package and the distribution of a vaccine that is expected in early 2021.