President Joe Biden promoted Neera Tanden, one of his senior advisers, to the position of White House staff secretary, officials announced Friday.
The announcement came during a morning staff call Friday by White House chief of staff Ron Klain, The Washington Post reported.
Tanden was initially tapped by Biden to lead the Office of Budget and Management, but her nomination was withdrawn after it became apparent that she did not have enough votes to be confirmed in the Senate.
Tanden used Twitter to disparage a number of senators from both parties.
”I do think the last several years have been very polarizing, and I apologize for my language that has contributed to that,” Tanden told members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, as reported by The New York Times in February. ”I know it’s on me to demonstrate to this committee and to Republican members and Democratic members I can work with anyone.”
Instead, she was appointed as a senior adviser to Biden in May and earns a salary of $180,000 per year, according to the White House.
A longtime Democrat activist, Tanden was an adviser to Hillary Clinton and served as the president of the liberal organization Center for American Progress.
John Podesta, chief of staff for then-President Bill Clinton, said Friday that Tanden was a desirable choice for that key role.
”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 in the Post article. ”You have to be able to spot that there is something missing, some perspective that wasn’t reflected.”
The position is responsible for curating documents that get to the president daily, including assembling morning briefing materials, memos, and other documents for Biden to consider.
Former White House counsel Harriet Miers and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh have held the position in the past.
According to the Post, Tanden, an Indian American, is the first woman of color to hold the position.
Tanden also served as an adviser in the presidential campaigns of both Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama.
She also was a senior adviser for health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the Post.
During her tenure under Biden, Tanden has pushed for his economic agenda, and is overseeing a review of the United States Digital Service, which designs and maintains the country’s digital infrastructure.
