Indian-American Neera Tanden was last week appointed as senior adviser to US President Joe Biden. Tanden had withdrawn her nomination as Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget two months ago after opposition from Republican Senators.
The 50-year-old Tanden is currently the president and CEO of think-tank Center for American Progress (CAP).
“Neera’s intellect, tenacity, and political savvy will be an asset to the Biden administration as she assumes a new role as senior adviser to the president. While we will be sorry to lose her considerable policy expertise and leadership at the Center for American Progress—an organization which we founded together in 2003—I am exceptionally thrilled to see her step into a new position serving this White House and the American people,” said John Podesta, founder and director of CAP.
In her new role as adviser to President Biden she has been tasked with launching a review of the US Digital Service, and planning contingencies that could result from the Supreme Court's consideration of Republican lawsuits seeking to strike down the Affordable Care Act.
In addition to serving as president and CEO of CAP, Tanden also served as CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Tanden has also served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations as well as on presidential campaigns.
Before CAP, which she joined in 2011, Tanden was the organisation’s chief operating officer. She previously served as senior adviser for health reform at the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Prior to 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, where she directed all policy work and oversaw the debate preparation process for then-Senator Clinton.
Before the 2008 presidential campaign, Tanden served as legislative director in Senator 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 received her Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Los Angeles and her law degree from Yale Law School.
