Tanden slated for confirmation grilling next week

The Senate will hold its first confirmation hearing for Neera Tanden next week to press the nominee on her plans for leading the Office of Management and Budget.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has scheduled Tanden's confirmation hearing for 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday. The chamber's Budget Committee must follow with its own formal vetting of President Joe Biden's pick for OMB director, but the panel has yet to schedule a confirmation hearing.

Tanden’s chances: While the president and CEO of the Center for American Progress is expected to face an easier path to confirmation now that Democrats hold a narrow majority in the Senate, she will likely field tough questions from Republicans and a more partisan vote than some of Biden’s other nominees, like Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, whose nomination sailed through the upper chamber with bipartisan support.

Republicans have previously labeled Tanden as “radioactive” for her open criticism of the GOP on social media. But Democrats, who praise Tanden for a career of advocacy and support for government assistance to help families, have called Republicans hypocrites for rebuking Tanden while remaining silent as President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized his own party on Twitter.

Document dump: Tanden’s public financial disclosure report notes that she earned nearly $732,000 over two years at the helm of the Center for American Progress, in addition to more than $68,000 with the liberal think tank’s advocacy arm and thousands of dollars in speaking fees through appearances with Wells Fargo, Indiana University, the American Jewish Committee and The Capital Group, an asset management firm.

Tanden pledged to resign from CAP and its advocacy group upon confirmation.

Next steps: Both committees must approve the nomination before it is sent to the Senate floor for a vote.

CLARIFICATION: This report has been updated to clarify that Neera Tanden earned $732,000 over two years at the helm of the Center for American Progress.