March 4, 2021
House Democratic Leaders Tap Shalanda Young To Replace Neera Tanden For OMB Director
A day After Neera Tanden withdrew her name from consideration for the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, House Democrats are pushing for Shalanda Young to replace Tanden.
Young, a Loyola University graduate and a former Democratic aide, was President Joe Biden‘s selection for deputy budget director. The move for Young to replace Tanden was endorsed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and Majority leader Steny Hoyer.
“As longtime Members of the Appropriations Committee, we take great pride in recommending Shalanda Young as Director of the Office of Management and Budget,” the group said in a joint statement. “We have worked closely with her for several years and highly recommend her for her intellect, her deep expertise on the federal budget and her determination to ensure that our budget reflects our values as a nation. Her legislative prowess, extensive knowledge of federal agencies, incisive strategic mind and proven track record will be a tremendous asset to the Biden-Harris Administration.”
Young even received an endorsement from South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who said Young was “highly qualified” for the job.
“Everybody who deals with you on our side has nothing but good things to say,” Graham said according to CNN. “You might talk me out of voting for you, but I doubt it.”
Tanden, the president of the Center for American Progress withdrew her nomination after Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said he wouldn’t vote for her along with several Republican senators. Tanden has made harmful statements about Republicans in past tweets.
Those include calling Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) “the worst” and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) a fraud. Tanden also compared Mitch McConnell to Voldemort, a villain in the Harry Potter series, and made statements against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
Despite Republican outrage over her statements, they do not compare to the insults, shots, and flat-out racist statements former President Donald Trump made during his four years in office.