Who is the ‘auto-pen’ woman?

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Neera Tanden, born September 10, 1970, in Bedford, Massachusetts, has built a career as a prominent far-left political operative, deeply embedded in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party through her close ties to the Clintons, Obamas, and Bidens. As president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank, since 2011 (returning in 2025 after Biden administration roles), she has pushed progressive policy agendas. Born to Indian immigrant parents who divorced when she was five, Tanden was raised by her mother, Maya, on welfare before attending Bedford High School, UCLA (BA, 1992), and Yale Law School (JD, 1996).

Tanden’s career is marked by her loyalty to far-left Democratic figures. She began in the Clinton administration (1997–1999), advising Hillary Clinton on progressive domestic policies. She served as deputy campaign manager for Clinton’s 2000 Senate run and policy director for her 2008 presidential campaign, cementing her role as a Clinton ally. Tanden worked on Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign as domestic policy director and advised on the Affordable Care Act under Obama’s Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, furthering her far-left credentials. In the Biden administration, she held roles as senior advisor and staff secretary (2021–2023) and Domestic Policy Council director (2023–2025), shaping progressive domestic agendas. Her 2020 nomination for Office of Management and Budget director collapsed due to Senate pushback over her partisan history and deletion of over 1,000 tweets, exposing her far-left rhetoric.

Tanden’s association with controversy extends to the 2024 autopen scandal, where reports surfaced that she, as Domestic Policy Council director, was linked to the use of an autopen to sign executive actions for President Biden, raising questions about transparency and authority in the administration. Her earlier campaign work for Michael Dukakis (1988) and Bill Clinton (1992) further ties her to the Democratic establishment’s left flank.

Married to artist Benjamin Edwards since 1999, with two children, Tanden remains a polarizing figure, celebrated by progressives for her influence—evidenced by awards like the 2011 India Abroad Publisher’s Award—and criticized by opponents for her uncompromising far-left stance.