The US Senate has confirmed another member of the cabinet of US President Joe Biden: Gina Raimondo can take up her office as Minister of Commerce. The moderate Democrat was confirmed with 84 to 15 votes, as several US media reported on Tuesday (local time). Raimondo was most recently governor of the smallest US state, Rhode Island. Previously, Biden had suffered an initial setback when his government team was confirmed.
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Raimondo had previously worked in the financial sector, among other things. It is expected that it will play an important role in the implementation of central points of the Biden policy, for example in the trade conflict with China and in stimulating the US economy, which has been hit by the corona pandemic, wrote the “New York Times”. Raimondo's nomination had met resistance from some Republicans. Senator Ted Cruz from Texas accused her of being “soft on China”, according to CNN.
Raimondo has been Rhode Island's first female governor since 2015. On Tuesday she resigned from this position and said goodbye on Twitter with the words: “It was a privilege to serve as your (…) governor”. The Yale graduate had, among other things, cut taxes for companies and had clashed with unions over a restructuring of pension programs. Her successor at the head of the northeastern state is, according to media reports, the Democrat Daniel McKee.
Biden had to take a first setback in the confirmation of his government team by the Senate. The president said that he had accepted Neera Tanden's resignation as a candidate for the head of the government's budget office (OMB). Many Republicans and at least one Democratic senator had turned down Tanden's candidacy. Tanden had been very disparaging about Republicans on Twitter.
The Budget Office (OMB) is a lesser-known authority, but it is very important for the functioning of government affairs. With the withdrawal of the candidacy, Biden was spared a foreseeable defeat in the vote in the Senate. So far, Biden has been able to push through his candidates for ministerial posts and government agencies in the Senate with a non-partisan majority. The Democrats alone currently hold exactly 50 of the 100 seats in the Senate. The Chamber of Congress must approve all top government personalities.
Biden said he had “the utmost respect” for Tanden, for her experience and advice. He is looking forward to bringing her to the government's service in a different role. Tanden said in a letter to Biden circulated by the White House that she was honored to be nominated for the post. “Unfortunately it now seems clear that there is no way to be confirmed (by the Senate),” wrote Tanden accordingly. She wanted to prevent sticking to the nomination from becoming a burden for the government.
