Conservatives for Property Rights (CPR) writes to express our opposition to the nomination of Neera Tanden for director of the Office of Management and Budget. CPR urges Senators to oppose this nominee’s appointment.
Conservatives for Property Rights is a coalition of conservative and libertarian organizations. CPR emphasizes the central importance of private property in all its forms — physical, personal, and intellectual. The right to private property ranks among the unalienable rights the Founders referenced in the Declaration of Independence.
We respect and agree with the general principle that each chief executive should be afforded the privilege of appointing individuals of his or her choice to serve in the administration. However, that principle assumes a reasonable level of an individual’s fitness for the office to which he or she is nominated. Neera Tanden lacks such fitness.
Despite words to the effect of bringing unity to the citizens of the United States by charting a moderate course of policy crafted in bipartisan fashion, President Biden’s actions have spoken louder than his words. Neera Tanden epitomizes a zealot of low motives and the most ideologically driven of intentions among a cast of nominees across the Biden administration bringing a decidedly Leftist ideology.
For example, under Ms. Tanden’s leadership, the Center for American Progress publicized a “Medicare Extra for All” plan designed to result in a government-controlled health system,1 and voiced support for Rep. Rosa DeLauro’s “Medicare for America” legislation, which contains price controls and an unfairly government-underpriced “public option,”2 and Rep.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s radical, extremist “Green New Deal.”3 On the health care bill, Ms. Tanden said,”it’s clear that a version of Medicare for all is necessary for the future of America’s health care system.”
One would expect a politically liberal president to select liberal officials to serve under him or her, just as one would give latitude to a conservative president to choose conservatives to serve in his or her administration. However, one would hope to see tangible evidence that the more philosophically liberal or conservative a nominee, there is a sound basis to assure that the individual possesses the temperament and disposition to work with, cooperate with, reason with, and compromise with those with different political views.
The task each nominee to a Senate-confirmed office is entrusted with is to govern — which requires treating people of other political views with respect, dealing with them in an honorable and honest manner, and assuming others come with pure motives and trustworthiness unless proof to the contrary surfaces. Neera Tanden gives no evidence that she is or possesses the capacity or character to act as anything other than a belligerent, extremist, Left-wing street fighter.
Her record throughout her leadership of the Center for American Progress yields little evidence of good-faith, reasonable, measured conduct or the capacity for it. Ms. Tanden’s actions speak much louder than empty words at her confirmation hearing. She has routinely crossed the line of decency, engaging in personal, ad hominem attacks on political opponents.
Ms. Tanden has deleted some 1,000 partisan jibes from her Twitter account,4 reported as “her sarcastic Twitter posts that were directed at prominent Republicans.”5 Among those having personal attacks include insulting Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Mitch McConnell. Ms. Tanden tweeted “She is the worst” in regard to Sen. Collins’s considering the Brett Kavanaugh nomination and applauded virulent Democrat politico Stacey Abrams’s calling him “Moscow Mitch,” repeating the slur and adding that Ms. Tanden “Love[d] it.”6 Ms. Tanden’s prolific partisan sniping occurred during her tenure leading a Left-of-center policy organization, setting a tone and an example that tags CAP as more of a partisan contender than honest think tank.
Those who live by the sword die by the sword, and Ms. Tanden has honed her skill wielding the sword. It is an incredible claim that she would beat her swords into plowshares if confirmed to appointed office at the Office of Management and Budget or elsewhere.
Conservatives for Property Rights has remained silent on other very, very liberal nominees at the same time as President Biden has produced a policy bait-and-switch of extreme political proportions. OMB is the central location through which all regulatory initiatives must pass. OMB’s critical role and extensive power is too important to the welfare and prosperity and freedom of the United States, the respective 50 states, and the American people to entrust its leadership to a demonstrated political extremist. OMB can easily abuse its power, taking private property, denying due process, enabling regulatory takings of private property, and braking our economy through excessive regulations on private businesses and entrepreneurial individuals exercising economic freedom. This is a time when our nation cannot afford such a risky confirmation.
Therefore, CPR strongly opposes the nomination of Neera Tanden and urges the U.S. Senate to defeat her nomination. We make this request for the sake of our country.
Sincerely,
James Edwards
Executive Director
Conservatives for Property Rights
Richard Manning
President
Americans for Limited Government
Ryan Ellis
President
Center for a Free Economy
James L. Martin
Founder/Chairman
60 Plus Association
Seton Motley
President
Less Government
C. Preston Noell III
President
Tradition, Family, Property, Inc.
Larry Hart
President
Hartco Strategies
Dick Patten
President
American Business Defense Council
Ed Martin President
Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund
Kevin L. Kearns
President
U.S. Business & Industry Council
Saulius “Saul” Anuzis
President
60 Plus Association
Ashley Baker
Director of Public Policy
Committee for Justice
Curt Levey
President
Committee for Justice
1 CAP Medicare Extra for All government-controlled “public option” proposal. https:// www.americanprogress.org/issues/healthcare/reports/2018/02/22/447095/medicare-extra-for- all/
2 CAP Statement by Neera Tanden, Dec. 19, 2018. https://www.americanprogressaction.org/press/ statement/2018/12/19/172736/statement-cap-actions-neera-tanden-praises-new-medicare- america-legislation/
3 House Budget Committee Republicans, correspondence to Senate leaders opposing the Tanden nomination, Feb. 9, 2021. https://republicans-budget.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ Letter-on-OMB-Director-Nomination-Neera-Tanden.pdf
4 Em Steck, “Neera Tanden deleted tweets slamming GOP senators ahead of nomination to become OMB director,” CNN, Dec. 2, 2020. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/02/politics/kfile-neera- tanden-deleted-tweets-slamming-gop/index.html
5 John Harney, “Biden Nominee for OMB Offers to Work With GOP After Tweet Row,” Bloomberg Government, Feb. 9, 2021. https://www.bgov.com/core/news/#!/articles/QO8Y32T1UM0W
6 Mike Dorning, Jennifer Epstein, and Erik Wasson, “Biden Stokes First Nomination Fight With Pick for Budget Chief,” Bloomberg, Dec. 1, 2020. https://www.bgov.com/core/news/#!/articles/QKO73AT0AFB8
