Biden Announces More Key Staff; Congress Must Pass Spending Bill
President-elect Joe Biden named a number of key members to his economic team this week. Among those selected were Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, to lead the Office of Management and Budget; Princeton economist Cecilia Rouse as head of the Council of Economic Advisors; and Brian Deese, a current BlackRock executive and former economic aide to President Barack Obama, who will lead the National Economic Council. The announcements come a week after Biden named former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen as his pick for Treasury Secretary.
Some selections have already stoked talks of confirmation battles in the Senate, particularly if Republicans are able to win at least one of two Georgia runoff races and maintain a majority in the chamber. Perhaps most notable is Tanden, against whom many in the GOP have pushed back. “Neera Tanden… stands zero chance of being confirmed,” wrote Drew Brandewie, a spokesperson for senior Republican Sen. John Cornyn (TX). Some progressives also spoke out against the pick, citing her past criticism of Senator and former presidential nominee Bernie Sanders.
Meanwhile, the House and Senate are in session this week to kick off the lame-duck session. On lawmakers’ minds will be a Dec.11 expiration of a government spending bill. To avert a shutdown, Congress must pass – and President Donald Trump must sign – either a continuing resolution funding the government at current levels, or a new appropriations package. Additional coronavirus relief spending, and the annual National Defense Authorization Act, are also in the mix and could be advanced alongside an appropriations bill.