Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has said he will vote against President Joe Biden's nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget, possibly scuttling Neera Tanden's chances at the senior White House policy position.
Manchin blasted Tanden for a plethora of ''toxic'' public statements and social media comments aimed at both Republicans and Democrats, and with a split 50-50 Senate, Manchin's vote will require at least one Republican to approve.
"I have carefully reviewed Neera Tanden's public statements and tweets that were personally directed towards my colleagues on both sides of the aisle from Senator Sanders to Senator McConnell and others,'' Manchin wrote in a statement on his congressional website. ''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.''
The announcement comes a week and a half after Tanden was criticized by both Republicans and Democrats during her Senate confirmation hearings.
The Indian-born Tandem apologized for the remarks, first to Republicans and then to Democrats as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy mocked her, claiming she — at one point — called Sanders ''everything but an ignorant slut,'' borrowing from a 1970s ''Saturday Night Live'' comedy skit.
Sanders, personally, took issue with the remarks, but also condemned her work at the liberal think tank/advocacy group the Center for American Progress for accepting corporate donations.
"Your attacks were not just made against Republicans,'' he said. ''There were vicious attacks made against progressives, people who I have worked with, me personally."
Her previous remarks were too much for Manchin.
''As I have said before, we must take meaningful steps to end the political division and dysfunction that pervades our politics,'' he said in his statement. ''At a time of grave crisis, it is more important than ever that we chart a new bipartisan course that helps address the many serious challenges facing our nation."
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