Joe Biden's Indian-American nominee to lead budget faces challenge to her confirmation
Washington: Indian-American Neera Tanden, US President Joe Biden's nominee for the position of Director of White House Office of Management and Budget, is facing a challenge to her confirmation after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin announced that he would vote against her over "overtly partisan statements".
Manchin's announcement means that unless a Republican senator comes forward to support her nomination, it is unlikely that Tanden, 50, will be confirmed for the job.
Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, said: "I believe her overtly partisan statements will have a toxic and detrimental impact on the important working relationship between members of Congress and the next director of the Office of Management and Budget."
"For this reason, I cannot support her nomination. As I have said before, we must take meaningful steps to end the political division and dysfunction that pervades our politics," he said.
The 100-member Senate is evenly split between the Republicans and the Democrats. The vote of Vice-President Kamala Harris will tilt the balance in favour of the Democrats. As such the vote of Manchin gains significance, given that a majority of the Republicans are likely to oppose the nomination of Tanden.
In the past, Tanden has referred to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as "Voldemort," and has battled Senator Bernie Sanders and his supporters online.
President Biden on Friday said that he has enough votes to get her confirmation.
I think we are going to find the votes and get her confirmed, Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews following a trip to the Pfizer vaccine manufacturing plant in Michigan.
Despite Manchin's opposition, Biden said he will not pull the nomination.
No he told reporters.
Neera Tanden is an accomplished policy expert who would be an excellent Budget Director and we look forward to the committee votes next week and to continuing to work toward her confirmation through engagement with both parties," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
Tanden apologised to senators during her confirmation hearings this month. I deeply regret and apologise for my language, and some of my past language, she said.
Tanden reportedly deleted more than 1,000 tweets before her confirmation process started.
According to The New York Times, the announcement by Manchin underscored the fragility of the ambitions of the new Democratic majority in the Senate and the outsize power that any one senator holds over the success of Biden's administration and agenda.
The fate of the nomination is now in the hands of a party that Ms Tanden has frequently criticized in the past, particularly moderate Republicans she has previously scorned. Ms Tanden would need the support of at least one Republican senator in order to be confirmed, with the vote of Vice President Kamala Harris needed to break a tie, the daily said.
If she fails to garner enough support, Tanden would be the first Biden administration pick not to win Senate confirmation. No Republicans have said they would vote for her yet.
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Mehbooba seeks release of people arrested for 'peaceful' protests against Khamenei's killing
Srinagar (PTI): Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday urged the Jammu and Kashmir Police to release those arrested for staging protests in the Valley against the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israel strike on February 28.
“Scores of protesters, including women, have been arrested across Kashmir for peacefully participating in rallies in the wake of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's martyrdom.
“Authorities had assured their families that they would be released soon. But, unfortunately, this hasn't been the case. Urge Jammu and Kashmir Police to consider their release at the earliest,” Mufti said in a post on X.
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Kashmir, which is home to about 15 lakh Shias, saw major protests at the Lal Chowk and Saida Kadal in Srinagar, Budgam, Bandipora, Anantnag and Pulwama after the news of Khamenei's killing spread, forcing the authorities to impose restrictions, which were lifted on Saturday morning.
While the protests were largely peaceful, minor clashes broke out at a few places between the security forces and the protesters, prompting the former to use force to maintain law and order.
The US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader since 1989.
Following the military offensive, Iran has carried out a wave of attacks mainly targeting Israeli and American military bases in several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
In the last few days, the conflict has widened significantly with attacks and counter-attacks by both sides.
