President Joe Biden announced on Friday that Neera Tanden, a senior adviser and staff secretary in the White House, will be named as the director of the Domestic Policy Council. She will replace Susan Rice in this position, with Stef Feldman being appointed to take over her role as staff secretary.
Tanden's vast portfolio will include supervision of President Biden's policies on gun control, policing, immigration and healthcare. Her knowledge base has long been rooted in domestic issues. In previous roles she served as a trusted aide to the Clintons and advised Hillary Clinton on policy when she was First Lady and later a US Senator from New York.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Tanden gained attention for writing sharp-edged social media posts which eventually led to bipartisan opposition contributing to her nomination withdrawal.
In her new role at the Domestic Policy Council (DPC), Tanden replaces Susan Rice who plans to leave later this month while Stef Feldman is set to step into her former position. Feldman has been a longtime Biden aide dating back to his time within the Obama administration.
The appointment further boosts Tanden's profile within Biden's White House after overcoming an initially failed confirmation battle for leading Office Management and Budget (OMB).
Commenting on his decision, President Joe Biden cited Neera Tanden’s 25 years of experience in public policy along with her key role in architecting Affordable Care Act: “Neera’s expertise makes her well-suited for this important leadership position,” said President Joe Biden.
Reflecting upon concerns about partisan rhetoric raised during OMB nomination process previously he added: "She understands that building consensus is vital for moving forward our shared goals."
Additionally, Zayn Siddique was announced as principal deputy of DPC by President Joe Biden completing recent changes within its structure aimed at steering through stalled domestic agenda amidst divided Congress landscape.
This news is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.