Biden Should Be Allowed the Cabinet He Wants

Mitch Daniels, who was budget director during the Bush administration, writes in the Washington Post that Senate Republicans could restore a bit of civility by confirming Neera Tanden for his old job.

“The pattern of permitting new presidents to form Cabinets of their own choosing, and enabling them to get started promptly, began to erode after the inauguration of the administration I served. President Barack Obama saw four of his 15 nominees delayed beyond his first weeks in office. Then President Trump was blocked on all but three. Now we read that an opposition Senate — if that is what results from the coming runoff elections in Georgia — may challenge a large number of President-elect Joe Biden’s nominees.”

“News reports indicate that one nominee to be so targeted is Neera Tanden, proposed for the office in which I once served. Let’s hope a different view prevails regarding Biden’s choices, starting with that appointment. It may sound old-fashioned, but to me there is no good reason to depart from a presumption of deference in this instance.”