Senator Braun’s “Groundhog Day Report” Reveals the Biden Administration’s Countless Lifelong Washington Insiders

Earlier this week, Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.) released a “Groundhog’s Day report” examining the nominees and officials working within the Biden Administration. While Biden promised to govern as a moderate, he has brought back the liberals and progressives who continue to push the same failed policy ideas as past Democrat presidents.

Recent polling found that 60 percent of Americans disapprove of President Biden’s handling of the economy, with 72 percent disapproving of his handling of inflation. The same survey showed a 55 percent majority also disapprove of his leadership during the pandemic. His approval ratings, even among Democrats, is brutally low at 41.8 percent. 

This is due, in part, to the company the President keeps. As Senator Braun notes, “Your operation is only as good as the people you hire, and based on the results we’ve been getting out of the federal government, I think it’s time we pass out some pink slips.” The report describes the backgrounds of 19 confirmed and unconfirmed Biden nominees.   

For instance, Braun’s report highlights Neera Tanden’s career, Biden’s failed appointee to the Director of the Office and Management Budget (OMB) position. Tanden has spent decades in Democratic administrations:   

“Tanden is a consistent figure in recent Democratic administrations. Tanden served in the Clinton Administration, as Senior Policy Advisor to the First Lady & Associate Director for Domestic Policy (November 1997—July 1999). Tanden was President Obama’s Domestic Policy Director during his general election campaign (June 2008—November 2008), and later served as a member of his transition team (November 2008— January 2009). Tanden then served as a Senior Advisor to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius during the Obama Administration (January 2009—February 2010).” 

Eventually, the Biden administration withdrew her nomination due to the surfacing of over 1,000 nasty, partisan tweets, particularly ones about lawmakers like Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine). Instead, Biden appointed her as a Senior Advisor within the White House, then to White House Staff Secretary.  

The report also details White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain’s decades-long career as a Washington insider:    

“Ron Klain has been a Washington insider for decades; so much so that The New York Times referred to him as having “A Beltway résumé.” After a long career in Washington, Klain served as Chief of Staff to Vice President Al Gore during the Clinton Administration. As The New York Times describes, following the Clinton Administration, “Mr. Klain salved his wounds in classic Washington fashion: by making tons of cash.” During the Obama Administration, he served as then Vice President Biden’s Chief of Staff from 2009 through 2011. President Biden again selected him as his Chief of Staff after the 2020 election. He has been viewed by many to be pulling the President towards the more liberal wing of the party.”  

Secretary of Health and Human Service Xavier Becerra, a lifelong politician with no health care experience, was also highlighted in the report:  

“As Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Xavier Becerra is not only is the primary advisor to the President on national health care matters but he also holds the power to impact the health and well-being of all citizens across the country. A lifelong politician with no prior experience in health care, many were surprised when President Biden nominated Xavier Becerra as Secretary of HHS.”    

Becerra has been a longtime supporter of socialized healthcare. In 1997, he even paid a personal visit to Communist Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro, leading to the resignation of several members of the House Hispanic caucus. 

David Weil, nominated to lead the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, held the same exact position under the Obama Administration from 2014 to 2017 following “a career almost exclusively in academia.” During his time at the WHD, he was incredibly hostile towards small businesses. 

These are just a few examples of the types of people the Biden Administration is comprised of. Senator Braun calls these people the “permanent political class,” whose interests, he describes, come before America’s: “This cycle of incompetence in the federal government has made us all into Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day, forced to relive the same day over and over.”