Romney Says He'll Oppose Biden’s Pick to Lead OMB, Putting Nomination in Jeopardy

Romney Says He'll Oppose Biden’s Pick to Lead OMB, Putting Nomination in Jeopardy
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) arrives for the Republican policy luncheon at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington on March 19, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
Jack Phillips
2/22/2021
Updated:
2/22/2021

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said he will oppose President Joe Biden’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), coming after centrist Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said they would oppose the pick.

The three senators’ announcements put Neera Tanden’s nomination in jeopardy as the Senate is split at 50-50. Fellow centrist Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) has not stated whether she will confirm Tanden.

Tanden will need at least one Republican vote to be confirmed following Manchin’s announcement.

In a statement on Monday, Romney office said he “has been critical of extreme rhetoric from prior nominees, and this is consistent with that position,” adding: “He believes it’s hard to return to comity and respect with a nominee who has issued a thousand mean tweets.”

And Tanden’s move to “delete more than a thousand tweets in the days before her nomination was announced raises concerns about her commitment to transparency,” Collins remarked on Monday.

“Should Congress need to review documents or actions taken by OMB, we must have confidence that the director will be forthcoming,” she said. “The OMB needs steady, experienced, responsive leadership. I will vote against confirming Ms. Tanden.”

Manchin announced late last week that he won’t support Tanden for a variety of reasons.

“I believe her overtly partisan statements will have a toxic and detrimental impact on the important working relationship between members of Congress and the next director of the Office of Management and Budget. For this reason, I cannot support her nomination,” Manchin said.

Neither Biden nor Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has suggested they will drop trying to push for her nomination to lead the OMB.

“I am working with President Biden to find the extra votes so she can be passed. I think she would be a very good OMB leader,” Schumer told reporters in New York on Sunday.
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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