Neera Tanden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Neera Tanden
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Official portrait, 2021
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| 23rd Director of the Domestic Policy Council | |
| In office May 26, 2023 – January 20, 2025 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Zayn Siddique |
| Preceded by | Susan Rice |
| Succeeded by | Vince Haley |
| Senior Advisor to the President | |
| In office May 17, 2021 – May 25, 2023 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Jared Kushner Stephen Miller Ivanka Trump |
| Succeeded by | Annie Tomasini |
| White House Staff Secretary | |
| In office October 25, 2021 – May 25, 2023 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Michael Hochman |
| Preceded by | Jessica Hertz |
| Succeeded by | Stefanie Feldman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 10, 1970 Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Ben Edwards
(m. 1999) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) Yale University (JD) |
Neera Tanden (born September 10, 1970) is an American political expert and former government official. She is currently the president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, a group that researches and suggests ideas for government policy.
From 2023 to 2025, Tanden was the director of the United States Domestic Policy Council. She also worked as a senior advisor and staff secretary for President Joe Biden from 2021 to 2023. Before joining the Biden administration, she worked at the Center for American Progress since it started in 2003.
Tanden has helped with several Democratic presidential campaigns. These include campaigns for Michael Dukakis in 1988, Bill Clinton in 1992, and Barack Obama in 2008. She was a senior helper for Hillary Clinton when Clinton ran for and won a Senate seat in New York in 2000. Tanden also advised Clinton during her runs for president in 2008 and 2016.
During her time in the Obama administration, Tanden helped create the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This law aimed to make health care more affordable and accessible.
In November 2020, President-elect Joe Biden wanted to make Tanden the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). However, she later asked for her nomination to be withdrawn. This happened after a senator said he would not vote for her. In May 2021, Tanden became a senior advisor to President Biden. She was later named the White House Staff Secretary in October 2021. In 2023, Tanden took over from Susan Rice as the head of the United States Domestic Policy Council.
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Early Life and Education
Neera Tanden was born on September 10, 1970, in Bedford, Massachusetts. Her parents were immigrants from India. She has one brother named Raj. Her parents divorced when she was five years old. After that, Tanden's mother, Maya, received government help for almost two years. She then found a job as a travel agent.
Tanden graduated from Bedford High School in 1988. She earned a college degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1992. She then went on to graduate from Yale Law School in 1996. While at Yale Law School, she worked as an editor for the Yale Law & Policy Review.
As a first-year student at UCLA, Tanden met her future husband, artist Benjamin Edwards. Both Tanden and Edwards volunteered for Michael Dukakis's presidential campaign in 1988.
Career in Public Service
Tanden has worked on government policy in different areas. She has worked for the U.S. Congress, for research groups called think tanks, and for various Democratic political campaigns.
Working with the Clintons
Neera Tanden is known for being a close supporter and friend of Hillary Clinton. Much of Tanden's career has involved working with the Clintons. She has been called Hillary Clinton's closest policy advisor.
She worked with President Bill Clinton's campaign on new energy plans and health care changes. She also served as an associate director for domestic policy in the Clinton White House. Later, she was a domestic policy advisor in the First Lady's Office.
In 1999 and 2000, Tanden was a deputy campaign manager for Hillary Clinton. This was during Clinton's successful campaign for a Senate seat in New York. After Clinton won, Tanden worked as her legislative director from 2003 to 2005.
Tanden was Hillary Clinton's policy director for Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. She also advised Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign. After Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination in 2016, Tanden was part of her team that planned for the transition to the White House.
In 2016, some of Hillary Clinton's campaign emails were released online. These included private messages from Tanden. She said that having her personal communications shared publicly was a difficult experience.
Obama Campaign and Administration
After Barack Obama became the Democratic presidential candidate in 2008, Tanden joined his team. She was one of the first former Clinton campaign staff members to do so. She worked as the domestic policy director for his successful general election campaign.
During the Obama administration, Tanden was a senior advisor to Kathleen Sebelius. Sebelius was the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Tanden helped write the administration's health care law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She also worked with Congress and other groups on parts of the bill. She is seen as one of the main people who helped create the Affordable Care Act.
Center for American Progress
In 2003, Tanden played a key role in starting the Center for American Progress (CAP). She worked as a Senior Vice President for Domestic Policy. She was also a Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. In 2010, she became the Chief Operating Officer.
On November 1, 2011, Tanden became the president and CEO of CAP, taking over from John Podesta.
After the 2016 election, Tanden focused CAP's work on opposing the Trump administration. She also helped shape the health care discussion within the Democratic Party. In 2020, CAP promoted a health care plan called "Medicare Extra for All."
In 2021, Tanden left her leadership role at CAP to become an advisor to President Biden. Patrick Gaspard took over as president and CEO. In February 2025, Tanden returned to CAP as its president and CEO.
Nomination for Office of Management and Budget
On November 30, 2020, President-elect Joe Biden announced he wanted Tanden to lead the Office of Management and Budget. After this, Tanden deleted many of her past social media posts. She also changed her social media profile description. During her confirmation hearing, Tanden apologized for some of her past posts that criticized Republican senators.
In February 2021, Senator Joe Manchin said he would not support her nomination. He mentioned her "overtly partisan statements" in the past. This made her approval difficult because the Senate was evenly split between the two main parties. Other senators also said they would vote against her.
On March 2, 2021, Tanden asked the Biden administration to withdraw her nomination. The White House agreed. President Biden said he respected Tanden and would find another role for her in his administration. Her nomination was officially withdrawn on March 25, 2021.
Senior Advisor to the President
Tanden was appointed as a senior advisor to President Biden on May 14, 2021. In this role, Tanden worked on possible policy changes related to health care. She also started a review of the United States Digital Service. Some experts believed this role might give her more influence than the OMB director position.
Staff Secretary
In October 2021, Tanden was named President Biden's staff secretary and senior advisor. She reported to Ron Klain.
Domestic Policy Advisor
In May 2023, Tanden was named the head of the Domestic Policy Council. She took over from Susan Rice. She served in this position until the end of the Biden administration in January 2025.
Political Views
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Neera Tanden has been described as a "progressive" and a "centrist." She is seen as a loyal supporter of Bill and Hillary Clinton. She has said that her experiences growing up and relying on government help led her to a career in politics. She is known for sharing her opinions on social media.
Domestic Policy
Much of Tanden's work focuses on health care policy in America. She helped pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA) during the Obama administration. Tanden supports a health care system where both private and public insurance options are available. She does not support a single-payer health care system, where the government pays for all health care.
Tanden has suggested that changes to social welfare programs like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare could help reduce the national debt.
Tanden has also commented on the ideas of Senator Bernie Sanders. She supports the labor movement, saying that strong labor unions encourage businesses to offer good salaries and benefits.
Foreign Policy
Tanden has been described as having strong views on foreign policy. In 2013, she stated that "an unpoliced world is dangerous." The Center for American Progress has been noted for its connections to countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In 2016, she met with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, in 2020, Tanden criticized Modi's government for allowing violence against Muslims in India.
Israel
In 2015, Tanden and CAP criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This was because he tried to influence U.S. policy during a trip to Washington, D.C. Later that year, Netanyahu asked to speak at CAP. Tanden agreed, saying it was important for a research group to host leaders of countries with strong ties to the U.S.
She called the U.S. recognition of Israel's control of the Golan Heights in March 2019 "a clear political move."
Libya
Before the U.S.–NATO bombing of Libya in 2011, Tanden supported removing Muammar Gaddafi from power.
Syria
In September 2013, when President Obama was thinking about bombing Syria, Tanden said that while she didn't want the U.S. to be the world's police, "an unpoliced world is dangerous." She also said that the U.S. might be "the only adult in the room left." Tanden stated she did not support sending U.S. soldiers to Syria.
Honors and Awards
- 2012: National Journal named her one of the 25 "Most Influential Women in Washington."
- 2013: Fortune magazine named Tanden one of the "Most Powerful Women in Politics."
- 2014: Elle magazine named Tanden one of the 10 most powerful women in Washington, D.C.
- 2016: Politico included Tanden on its "Politico 50" list. This list recognizes "thinkers, doers, and visionaries transforming American politics."
Personal Life
Neera Tanden and her husband, Benjamin Edwards, have two children.
See also
In Spanish: Neera Tanden para niños
- Unsuccessful nominations to the Cabinet of the United States
