Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski will reportedly meet Monday with Neera Tanden, President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Murkowski seems to be the deciding factor for whether Tanden is ultimately confirmed by the Senate.
Tanden needs one Republican to vote in favor of her confirmation, with the Senate split at 50-50, as Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin announced that he would oppose Tanden’s confirmation. Murkowski is the one Republican senator who has not yet decided how she will vote on Tanden’s confirmation. CNN first reported the two would be meeting.
Nearly all Senate Republicans immediately came out in opposition to Tanden’s nomination when it was announced. Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney confirmed Tuesday that he will vote against Tanden’s confirmation, just one day after Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins announced that she will oppose Tanden’s confirmation.
Neera Tanden, President Joe Bidens nominee for Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is sworn in to testify during a Senate Committee on the Budget hearing on Capitol Hill on February 10, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images)
A number of Republican senators have continued to press Tanden over her past comments and donations to Democrats. In the House, Budget Committee Republicans urged senators to reject Tanden’s nomination in a letter sent Tuesday. (RELATED: Neera Tanden Was ‘Proud To Fight’ Against Trump Cabinet Picks, Now She’s Battling To Save Her Own Nomination)
There have been concerns over Tanden’s apparent partisanship since the news of her nomination first broke. (RELATED: Neera Tanden Forgot To Delete Tweets Criticizing Lisa Murkowski, One Person Who Could End Her Shot At Being Confirmed)
A tweet also resurfaced Wednesday in which Tanden criticized Murkowski after the senator tweeted about lowering the corporate tax rate.
The Daily Caller asked Murkowski’s office about the reported Monday meeting and it did not immediately respond.