WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian origin Republican politician Nikki Haley has slammed President-elect Joe Biden’s immigration policy as an “insult” to legal immigrants and called his choice of Neera Tanden as budget director “deeply concerning.” “Biden’s immigration policies will create another border crisis that will undermine the rule of law, hurt American workers, and insult the legal immigrants who did the right thing,” she said in a series of tweets Tuesday, December 1. “It’s one more reason why America needs a conservative-led Senate to stop Biden’s plan in its tracks,” said the former US ambassador to the UN campaigning for two Republican Senators in the Georgia runoff election next month. The control of the powerful 100-member Senate hangs in the balance with the Republican Party currently having 50 seats to Democrats’ 48 after losing the White House. Democrats have retained their majority in the House of Representatives. “Biden has promised to reverse the Trump admin’s immigration policies, halt all deportations, & introduce amnesty legislation for illegal immigrants on day 1,” Haley said.
“The amnesty bill would send a clear signal to people across the world: Come to America illegally & get rewarded for it,” said the former two-term Governor of South Carolina.
In another tweet, Haley criticized Neera Tanden’s nomination as the Director of Office of Management and Budget saying she has shown “bad judgment” in the past.
“Tanden has shown bad judgment in the past. She said that @realDonaldTrump is ‘part of conspiracy against US’ & has a track record of disparaging Rep Senators,” she wrote.
“There’s a saying that ‘personnel is policy,’ which is why Biden’s nomination of Tanden is deeply concerning,” Haley added. “Biden’s pick for budget chief is Neera Tanden. Tanden is one of the architects of ObamaCare, has been described as a Clinton loyalist for her years of service to Hillary Clinton & spent years leading a liberal think tank where she oversaw proposals like “Medicare Extra for All.”,” Haley said in another tweet.
Several other Republican politicians have also criticized Tanden’s nomination with Senator John Cornyn calling her “radioactive” and perhaps the “worst nominee so far”.
Another, Tom Cotton tweeted that she was “filled with hate & guided by the woke left” and cited one of her tweets in which she said she loved Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell being called “Moscow Mitch”.
However, Biden has defended Tanden as “battle-tested” who will fight for your family as if it were her own.”
“Neera is battle-tested and ready to get the job done as our next Director of Office of Management and Budget. She has been at the forefront in creating policies designed to support America’s working families,” he told his supporters in an email. “She’ll fight for your family as if it were her own, because her experience as a child relying on food stamps and Section 8 housing instilled in her a belief that our economy must serve the dignity and humanity of all people,” he wrote. “If confirmed, she’ll be the first woman of color and the first South Asian American to lead the OMB, and I’m excited to watch her make history,” Biden added.
Meanwhile, South Asians for Biden’s National Director Neha Dewan said it was “thrilled” at the selection of Tanden as it “represents Biden’s commitment to pick qualified appointees who reflect the diversity of America.”
Biden and Harris “expressed the importance of having every American’s voice heard and represented in the administration, and Tanden’s selection to serve in such a high-profile role confirms this commitment,” she said.