President Joe Biden has appointed Neera Tanden as the new Director of the Domestic Policy Council, succeeding Susan Rice, who vacated the position last month. Biden has praised Tanden’s 25 years of experience in public policy, having served three presidents and previously led the Center for American Progress, a liberal-leaning think tank in Washington D.C., for almost a decade. Tanden will oversee Biden’s policies on immigration, gun control, healthcare, and policing. Her lived experience of growing up on food stamps and housing assistance would inform her work running the Domestic Policy Council.
Tanden started as an associate director for domestic policy under President Clinton. She continued to advise Hillary Clinton on policy as a US Senator from New York and during her 2008 presidential campaign. Tanden later served as a key aide on Clinton’s campaign in 2016 and worked in the Obama administration on the Affordable Care Act. Tanden helped drive key domestic policies that became part of Biden’s agenda, including the Affordable Care Act, clean energy subsidies, and gun reform.
Tanden’s appointment follows her failed nomination to become director of the White House Office of Management and Budget earlier this year. She withdrew her nomination after concerns were raised about her partisan rhetoric, leadership style, and corporate donor ties. However, her new role does not require Senate confirmation.
The move comes as the White House looks to sharpen its focus on domestic policy, particularly related to climate change, healthcare, gun safety, and student loans. Biden has already made a historic two-year period of legislative activity with the passage of a major Covid-19 relief bill, a bipartisan infrastructure overhaul, and last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, which included $369 billion to combat climate change and lowered the cost of prescription drugs for seniors. The move could also be part of the White House’s efforts to minimize tensions with Congressional Republicans over raising the debt limit.
Tanden will be the first Asian-American to direct any of the three major White House policy councils in history. Zayn Siddique will be promoted to Principal Deputy of the Domestic Policy Council, and Stefanie Feldman will serve as Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary under Tanden’s purview.
Overall, Tanden’s appointment marks a significant step in President Biden’s policymaking agenda, as he continues to prioritize significant domestic policy initiatives and reforms.
