Tag: Biden cabinet

Biden’s pick for HHS sued the Trump administration, not a group of nuns

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It does seem like, as attorney general, you spent an inordinate amount of time and effort suing pro-life organizations, like Little Sisters of the Poor, or trying to ease restrictions or expand abortion.”

— Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), in a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Xavier Becerra’s nomination to be secretary of health and human services, Feb. 24, 2021

“By the way, I have never sued the nun — any nuns. I have taken on the federal government, but I’ve never sued any affiliation of nuns. And my actions have always been directed at the federal agencies, because they have been trying to do things that are contrary to the law in California.”

— Becerra, at the confirmation hearing

Becerra was often in court with former president Donald Trump’s administration, filing numerous lawsuits as attorney general of California that won the backing of other Democratic states.

Now he’s up for the top health position in President Biden’s Cabinet, and Republican senators want to know why he supposedly sued a group of nuns back in the day.

In hearings on Becerra’s nomination to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Thune and others brought up a case involving California, contraceptives and a group of Catholic nuns. Continue reading.

Rand Paul’s questions of transgender nominee were ‘obscene,’ says advocate

Rachel Levine — the Biden administration’s pick to be assistant secretary of Health and Human Services — was grilled during her confirmation hearing by Sen. Rand Paul about trans health care. The Kentucky Republican falsely equated transgender youth seeking medical care to “genital mutilation.” 

If confirmed, Levine would be the highest-ranking transgender political appointee in the federal government. 

Paul did not ask similar questions of Vivek Murthy, who was also testifying before the Senate HELP Committee on Thursday to be surgeon general. Continue reading.

Here’s the most revealing thing Joe Manchin has said about his pivotal role in the Senate

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A lot of people aren’t happy with Sen. Joe Manchin.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. As soon as it became clear that President Joe Biden’s party would have the slimmest of majorities in a 50-50 Senate, the West Virginian Democrat was transformed into the most influential member of Congress. As the furthest right senator in the caucus from the reddest state of any Democrat, he is the most likely candidate to defect from any of the party’s priorities.

Now, he’s making trouble for all sides. His decision to come out against Neera Tanden, Biden’s Office of Management and Budget nominee, over past mean tweets has threatened to sink her, and many argue it displayed a sexist and perhaps racist double standard on his part. Tanden doesn’t have many friends on the left wing of the party, but Manchin has wasted no time in alienating that faction, too, by opposing raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Depending on how negotiations with the Senate parliamentarian fall out, that position could put him on a collision course with Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York in a stand-off over the COVID relief bill. Continue reading.

Opinion: The people concerned about Neera Tanden’s incivility sure didn’t seem to mind the Trump era’s

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It has become a rite of the modern presidential transition: The gods of politics demand a human sacrifice, the Senate torpedoes a nomination, the new administration takes a hit, and everyone moves on.

But the case of Neera Tanden, President Biden’s embattled choice to direct theOffice of Management and Budget, presents a new twist.

Tanden is amply qualified for the job. She is not accused of failing to pay her taxes or hiring an undocumented household worker. She is not on the ideological fringes. There has been no scandal in her personal life. Continue reading.

Haaland tells senators she sees ongoing role for fossil fuels

She would be the first Native American to serve as Interior secretary; some GOP senators say they don’t like her energy positions

Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., sought Tuesday to reassure skeptics on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that she would respect the importance of fossil fuel production if she’s confirmed as Interior secretary.

“As I’ve learned in this role, there’s no question that fossil energy does and will continue to play a major role in America for years to come,” Haaland said in her opening statement. “I know how important oil and gas revenues are to critical services. But we must also recognize that the energy industry is innovating, and our climate challenge must be addressed.”

Haaland faces significant resistance from Senate Republicans. And the committee’s Democratic chairman, Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, has indicated that he remains on the fence about the nomination. Continue reading.

Senate confirms former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm as energy secretary

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The Senate voted 64-35 on Thursday to confirm former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm as secretary of the Department of Energy. 

Why it matters: Granholm, only the second woman to head the department, will play a key role in President Biden’s efforts to accelerate the U.S. shift to clean energy and help other countries do the same.

  • Granholm said she hopes to strengthen solar and wind power usage, and to boost the development of clean-energy technologies, like electric vehicles. Continue reading.

Senate confirms Linda Thomas-Greenfield as UN ambassador

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The Senate voted 78-20 on Tuesday to confirm Linda Thomas-Greenfield as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. 

The big picture: Thomas-Greenfield has promised to restore the U.S. role as a defender of human rights and will look to repair multilateral relationships that fractured under former President Trump. She will play a key role in the administration’s China strategy — her “highest priority,” she has said. 

  • Thomas-Greenfield faced criticism during her confirmation hearing for comments she made while speaking at a Beijing-backed Confucius Institute in 2019.  Continue reading.

Biden’s pick for treasury secretary will be Janet Yellen

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Former chair of Federal Reserve would be first woman to hold nation’s top economic position

President-elect Joe Biden will nominate former Federal Reserve chair Janet L. Yellen as his treasury secretary, according to three people in close communication with aides to the president-elect.

Yellen, who was appointed chair of the Federal Reserve by President Barack Obama, would be the first woman to lead the Treasury Department if confirmed by the Senate. Biden said last week that he has decided on his choice for treasury secretary and that the name would be announced publicly either shortly before or after the Thanksgiving holiday.

On Monday afternoon, Biden adviser Jen Psaki wrote on Twitter: “The President-elect looks forward to announcing some members of his economic team early next week who will work with him to build the economy back better.” Continue reading.

Rubio Threatens Senate Blockade Of Biden Cabinet Picks

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said on Wednesday that the Senate should stop the tradition of granting deference to Cabinet nominees offered by President-elect Joe Biden. Rubio justified his position by claiming that Democrats “have been just so unfair” to Donald Trump.

“There’ll be a lot less deference given to presidential appointments because there was zero deference given to President Trump’s appointments,” Rubio told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

Rubio added, “There’s just no way that Biden’s nominations are going to be treated like they traditionally have been treated under previous presidents, simply because the atmosphere in the Senate has changed.” Continue reading.