Biden Withdraws Budget Chief Pick Neera Tanden After Senate Pushback

Joe Biden on Tuesday abandoned his plan for Neera Tanden to be White House budget director after pushback from key senators, marking the first cabinet defeat for the US president.

The nomination collapsed when centrists on both sides of the political aisle made clear they were not going to vote for Tanden thanks to several of her previous tweets in which she disparaged lawmakers, including some who would have been charged with voting on her confirmation.

“I have accepted Neera Tanden’s request to withdraw her name from nomination for Director of the Office of Management and Budget,” Biden said in a statement.