Joe Biden's US-Indian OMB pick Neera Tanden draws Kamala Harris parallel; shares her story

US President-elect Joe Biden appointed Indian-American Neera Tanden as his director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as a part of his economic team. Speaking at the introduction of members of Biden's economic team, Neera Tanden spoke of her Indian roots while citing similarities between her mother and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris's mother Shyamala Gopalan. Sharing her story from being a middle-class kid from the suburbs of Boston living off social programs to being nominated to shape and ensure the security of the social programs, Neera Tanden said that it is because of the social programs that she is where is she.

"Like the Vice President-elect's (Kamala Harris) mother, Shyamala, my mother, Maya, was born in India. Like so many millions, across every generation, she came to America to pursue a better life. I was raised in a suburb of Boston -- a middle-class kid. Now, it's my honour to help shape those budgets and programs to keep lifting Americans up, to pull families back from the brink. To give everybody the fair chance my mother got, and that everyone deserves, " said Indian-American appointee Neera Tanden. 

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"I am beyond honoured"

Speaking further Neera Tanden said that the US government is 'meant to serve all American people alike including Republicans, Democrats, and Independents'. She further added that all people know that the 'government has their back'. Thanking her mother for her determination as well as the US government for 'investing in humanity', Tanden added that she is 'beyond honoured'. Apart from Tanden, several other key members of Joe Biden's economic team delivered a speech at the introduction event including Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen,  Deputy Secretary of Treasury Wally Adeyemo, Chair of Council of Economic Advisers Cecilia Rouse along with Economic Advisers Council members Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey. 

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"I'm here today thanks to my mother's grit, but also thanks to a country that had faith in us, that invested in her humanity, and in our dreams. I'm here today because of social programs. Because of budgetary choices," said Neera Tanden. 

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Joe Biden's pick for the powerful White House Budge office chief led to early controversy and became a target for the conservatives and Republican lawmakers. This came as Neera Tanden is said to have run into trouble with some Republican Senators in the past over her comments about certain Senate members.

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(With inputs from ANI)