Indian-American Policy Expert Neera Tanden Appointed White House Senior Adviser
theweek.in
Indian-American policy expert Neera Tanden has been appointed as a senior adviser to US President Joe Biden, two months after she withdrew her nomination as Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget due to stiff opposition from Republican senators.
After US president-elect Joe Biden named an all-woman team for his communication staff, he has since selected Indian-American Neera Tanden as the next White House budget chief.
Born to immigrants from India, she grew up amid difficult economic circumstances as her parents divorced when she was five and her mother was put on welfare, living off food stamps and receiving Section 8 vouchers for housing. She said she got her passion for politics out of a desire to serve and felt like she had benefits from Democrat policies that the Clintons believed in.
Tanden previously served as a senior adviser for health reforms at the US Department of Health and Human Services. She worked with Congress and stakeholders on particular provisions of former President Barack Obama’s signature legislative achievement, the Affordable Care Act.
Before that, Tanden was the director of domestic policy for the Obama-Biden presidential campaign, where she managed all domestic policy proposals.
Tanden also served as policy director for Hillary Clinton’s first presidential campaign.
Before the 2008 presidential campaign, Tanden served as legislative director in Clinton’s office, and deputy campaign manager and issues director for Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign.
She began her career as an associate director for domestic policy in former President Bill Clinton’s White House, and senior policy adviser to the First Lady.
Tanden holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a law degree from the Yale Law School.