Neera Tanden named White House staff secretary

Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Neera Tanden, a former candidate for the director of the Office of Management and Budget, has been named White House staff secretary, the Biden administration announced Friday.

Tanden, the former president of the Center for American Progress, a powerful liberal think tank, withdrew her name for consideration for the budget office under strong opposition from Senate Republicans and moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

She ran afoul of Republicans for past negative Twitter posts targeting GOP politicians and policies and progressives for criticizing independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

A close supporter of former first lady and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Tanden had been serving as a senior adviser for Biden before being tapped for the new post.

The staff secretary reports to Chief of Staff Ron Klain and has control over the documents that make it to President Joe Biden. She replaces former Obama administration attorney Jessica Hertz, who left the post Friday in a planned move.

The staff secretary position is seen often as a stepping stone to bigger roles. Former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta once held the position under President Bill Clinton along with Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh under President George W. Bush.

"She is uniquely suited to the role because she is a lawyer, which is important, she is tough, and she will discipline important decision making inside the White House," Podesta said of Tanden, according to the Washington Post. "You have to be able to spot that there is something missing, some perspective that wasn't reflected."