President Joe Biden has named political consultant Neera Tanden as the director of the Domestic Policy Council, The New York Times reports.
Tanden currently serves as Biden’s staff secretary. She will replace outgoing director Susan Rice.
“I am pleased to announce that Neera Tanden will continue to drive the formulation and implementation of my domestic policy, from economic mobility and racial equity to health care, immigration and education,” Mr. Biden said in a White House press release.
Biden and the White House say she will be the first Asian American to lead any of the three major policy councils.
Tanden has spent years working in political consulting. She assisted the Clintons for years and was the senior adviser for health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services for former President Obama, The Hill reports. The 52-year-old was also the president of the Center for American Progress.
During the early days of his presidency, Biden nominated Tanden to run the Office of Management and Budget. According to POLITICO, Tanden eventually withdrew her nomination after receiving criticism from Republicans and centrist Democrats
Tanden has also been criticized by progressives. Reuters notes that many progressives were frustrated for her support of Hilary Clinton over Bernie Sanders in 2016 and her support of making cuts to Social Security.
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