Susan Collins to Vote Against Neera Tanden

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) will not vote to confirm President Biden’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, Neera Tanden, Axios reports.

Playbook: “Tanden’s best hope for confirmation now lies with finding support from Mitt Romney (R-UT) or Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). There are two reasons they might step forward. Tanden is close to White House chief of staff Ron Klain and her defeat would be seen not just as a defeat for President Joe Biden but as a personal rebuke to Klain. If Biden and Klain want to go all-out to save Tanden, they could offer Romney or Murkowski or — less likely — another Republican something significant in return.”

“But the more intriguing motive for Romney or Murkowski to back Tanden has to do with the internal dynamics of the 50-50 Senate, where there’s a budding competition among centrists for primacy. If Tanden is defeated, Manchin will get credit for it.”