Neera Tanden: Schumer says he’s working with Biden ‘to find the extra votes’ to confirm OMB choice

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“I’m working with President Biden to find the additional votes so they can be passed,” he told reporters at a news conference in New York, citing Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, who said last week that he would not vote for Teeth. . “I think she would be a very good OMB leader,” Schumer added.

Tanden’s confirmation to lead the office is in jeopardy after Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, said on Friday that he would vote against her, making her confirmation unlikely as Republicans oppose her nomination.

Biden has said he has no intention of withdrawing Teeth’s nomination and believes they will find the votes to get her confirmed.

She has met 35 senators on both sides of the aisle so far, a source involved in the confirmation process told CNN on Saturday. “That outreach, which started shortly after she was mentioned, will continue until next week,” the source said. She is expected to continue her contact with lawmakers this week.

Neera Tanden will continue to contact senators next week as confirmation is in jeopardy

Schumer has a narrow majority in a senate of 50-50 and Vice President Kamala Harris can cast binding votes in the chamber, but without Manchin’s backing, Democrats won’t have the votes alone.

Manchin said Tanden’s comments on social media about Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, had made him doubt she was the right match. Teeth apologized for her comments during a confirmation hearing from the Senate earlier this month.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Friday that Tanden is “an accomplished policy expert who would make an excellent budget director and we look forward to the committee’s votes next week and to continue to work on its confirmation through of engagement with both parties. “

CNN’s Arlette Saenz and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.

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