Murkowski says no decision after Tanden meeting

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said that she met with Neera Tanden on Monday but hadn’t made a decision on whether to support her nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget.

“I met with her today. We had a sit-down meeting, which was good,” Murkowski told reporters, noting that the meeting had just wrapped.

Murkowski added that she hasn’t made a decision, was still doing her “assessment” and had “some more follow-up questions.”

Murkowski could make or break Tanden’s nomination.

Democrats need 50 votes to get Tanden confirmed. With Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) opposed to her, that means they will need at least one GOP senator.

Murkowski, who is up for reelection in 2022, is viewed as the only remaining GOP senator who could be swayed to vote for Tanden.

She has been in touch with the White House and met with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) late last week. Schumer declined to say afterward what they talked about.

Asked about the White House’s pitch for supporting Tanden, Murkowski summed it up last week as “the president nominated her.”