POLITICS: RICE TO LEAVE WHITE HOUSE IN MAY — Tanden Possible Replacement!

From Politico:

https://apple.news/Au9UkPR0bSiqaMkC5yrBHQA

Susan Rice to step down as domestic policy adviser

Rice, who also served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, helped the Biden administration with expanding the Affordable Care Act.

By KIERRA FRAZIER, ADAM CANCRYN and MYAH WARD
04/24/2023 09:26 AM EDT
Updated: 04/24/2023 11:32 AM EDT

Domestic policy adviser Susan Rice is stepping down from her post.

Rice, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, helped the Biden administration with expanding the Affordable Care Act, getting his Inflation Reduction Act into law, and passing gun control legislation. The move comes as the White House is facing controversy over its handling of migrant children who crossed the Southern border.

“As the only person to serve as both National Security Advisor and Domestic Policy Advisor, Susan’s record of public service makes history,” said President Joe Biden in a statement announcing the departure. “But what sets her apart as a leader and colleague is the seriousness with which she takes her role and the urgency and tenacity she brings, her bias towards action and results, and the integrity, humility and humor with which she does this work.”

Rice’s departure leaves a major hole within the top ranks of the White House right as it gears up for a likely re-election campaign and as it faces a stare down with congressional Republicans over raising the debt limit. Among those being eyed as a replacement for her include Neera Tanden, Biden’s staff secretary and a senior adviser, four people with knowledge of the deliberations told POLITICO. Separately, a top White House official said no replacement had been identified yet.

One former administration official said White House aides were talking openly about Tanden’s consideration for Rice’s job over the weekend, calling her potential appointment “pretty damn firm.”

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Read the full article at the link.

Say what you will, Rice never got a handle on the need to restore the rule of law for asylum seekers at the border. Nor did she ever “get” the simple fact that you can’t solve a humanitarian situation through law enforcement focused largely on deterrence and punishment.

Although reviled by the GOP, Rice appeared to uncritically adopt many of Stephen Miller’s most xenophobic border myths and showed little interest in listening to experts who actually are working with asylum seekers and kids at the border.

In theory, Neera Tanden, whose nomination to be OMB Director was “torpedoed” by the GOP and Sen. Joe Manchin, could be better for human rights. But, 1) she doesn’t actually have the job yet; and 2) we’ve been here before with folks who look good from a distance but can’t perform in practice. 

Among the apparent reasons for Tanden’s OMB rejection was that she had sent nasty e-mails and tweets about some Senators. 

That was a case of the GOP having mass amnesia about the intemperate statements, personal insults, and incoherent rage that were a staple of their former election-denying President whom most blindly supported, and continue to cover for, through all transgressions against decorum and the law.

I suspect that most due process and human rights advocates aren’t shedding any tears about Rice’s impending departure. We’ll see what happens next.

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

04-24-23