Neera Tanden

Why She Matters

Tanden has a passion for health care policy, an interest that will make her a valuable asset to President Barack Obama in his quest to overhaul the U.S. health-care system.

Tanden has worked on domestic policy both on Capitol Hill and in think tanks since graduating from Yale Law School. She helped the 2008 Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign shape its policy proposals, and worked on Clinton's plans for new energy policies, economic and health-care reforms, as well as her plan to end the Iraq War.

Tanden was the Obama campaign’s domestic policy director. She had planned to work with former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) -- who withdrew from consideration as Obama's Health and Human Services secretary because of tax problems -- to craft an overhaul of the American health care system, an issue near to her heart.Brown, Carrie Budoff, "Tanden boosts health care reform effort," Politico, Jan. 8, 2009  In Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' HHS, she landed in the Office of Health Reform working under fellow Daschle ally Jeanne Lambrew.

Path to Power

Tanden’s belief that the government has an obligation to improve lives was developed early. Her family was poor, she says, and she saw first-hand the power of welfare, food stamps, and housing vouchers.TWF Indian Diaspora

This interest led her to the political arena early in her life. At 18, she volunteered for Massachusetts Gov. Mike Dukakis’ presidential campaign, acting as a precinct leader and urging fellow young people to get involved in politics.

Tanden graduated from UCLA in 1992 and received her degree from Yale Law School in 1996. Then she moved to Washington to serve as senior policy adviser to then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. She was also the associate director of the Domestic Policy Council, where she addressed such issues as childcare, early learning and after-school programs.

When Clinton decided to run for Senate in 2000, Tanden served as her deputy campaign manager.

In February 2001, Tanden became senior policy adviser to Harold Levy, the former Chancellor of New York City schools. There, she helped shape policy on accountability standards and fiscal equity issues."Ex-Clinton Aide to Be Levy’s Spokesperson," New York Times, March 17, 200She has also served as the Issues Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.Bhalla, Sudeep, "NRI appointed Hillary Clinton campaign's policy director of 2008 presidential election," Center for American Progress, Jan. 26, 2007

Tanden then moved to the Center for American Progress where she was senior vice president for Domestic Policy and a lobbyist for CAP's action fund. She returned to Capitol Hill as Legislative Director for Clinton, but went back to the Center for American Progress when she was named senior vice president for Academic Affairs.

In January 2007, Tanden was named policy director for Clinton’s presidential campaign. In that position, she oversaw all the campaign’s policies, domestic and foreign, including universal health care. Tanden was also in charge of preparing the senator for her primary debates.

While she said she admires Barack Obama, she told the New Yorker that she thought Clinton had the mettle to withstand the Republican attack machine.Packer, George, "The Choice," New Yorker, Jan. 28, 2008 When Obama won the nomination, his team recruited Tanden. She served as its domestic policy director, handling non-economic policy.Cohn, Jonathan, "Insiders," The New Republic, Aug. 13, 2008

After the election, there was speculation that Tanden would be appointed domestic policy adviser. Instead, that position went to Melody Barnes, and Tanden was hired as counselor to Daschle, who was to have a dual role as health care czar in the White House and secretary of health and human services.

When Daschle withdrew his name over failure to pay some taxes, Tanden's role became unclear.  In May 2009, as the health-care reform debate heated up, Obama's new pick for secretary, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, created an office of health reform within HHS, run by Daschle's former CAP colleague Jeanne Lambrew. Tanden was appointed a senior adviser.Healy, Patrick, "Team Clinton’s Web Chat," New York Times, March 28, 2007

The Issues

Tanden is particularly interested in health care, child care and education.

She told the New York Times that she struggles to balance work and family and said “every time that I feel pangs of guilt that I am not at home with my children, I think about how important it will be to my daughter when Hillary is president.”"News Release: Secretary Sebelius Announces HHS Office of Health Reform Personnel," Health and Human Services Department, May 11, 2009

At the Center for American Progress, Tanden wrote position papers opposing for a repeal of the estate tax.Tanden, Needa, et al, "Repeal/Reform the Estate Tax," Center for American Progress, June 30, 2005.
Adams, Rebecca, "Obama’s Brain Trust," Campaigns and Elections, Nov. 2008

The Network

Tanden’s work with the Clinton campaign has resulted in close friendships with Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Additionally, she has a tight relationship with such former Clinton staffers as ex-Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle.

When she moved to the Obama campaign after he clinched the Democratic nod, Tanden worked with Obama insiders Dora Hughes and Jason Furman on Obama’s health-care plan.Frates, Christopher, "Health Care Advisors Show Plan Diversity," Politico, Oct. 7, 2008

At the Center for American Progress, she worked with Gene Sperling, John Irons, and John Podesta, who ran Obama’s transition team, as well as White House Domestic Policy Adviser Melody Barnes.