Getting to know Biden's budget director 鈥� over breakfast
| Washington
We were delighted to welcome President Joe Biden鈥檚 budget director, Shalanda Young, to her first Monitor Breakfast on Jan 5. The timing couldn鈥檛 have been better. Congressional Republicans and Democrats are deep in negotiations to prevent a two-phase government shutdown, set to start Jan. 19.
Ms. Young, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, is in the loop. And while she鈥檚 not directly involved in negotiations, her southern Louisiana roots may yet prove beneficial. GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson is also from Louisiana, so I asked Ms. Young if that could help.
鈥淲ell, he鈥檚 from the north part of the state,鈥� the OMB director deadpanned, to reporters鈥� laughter. But, she added, Speaker Johnson went to Louisiana State University and 鈥渕y mother鈥檚 an LSU grad, so I鈥檒l give him that.鈥�
Ms. Young got high marks as a听听in the May debt ceiling talks. Her years of work as a Capitol Hill staffer on budget matters certainly helped, but as a White House official, her ability to earn bipartisan trust has set her apart. Today, she鈥檚 still getting to know the new speaker.
鈥淭hose personal relationships do matter. And whatever it takes to get through these next few weeks, we are willing to do it,鈥� Ms. Young says. 鈥淏eing from the great state of Louisiana, one finds common ground quickly."
We had a packed room for the breakfast, including听,听and generated听听听听听My own article on the breakfast highlighted Ms. Young鈥檚 skepticism that a government shutdown could be avoided.听
After the breakfast ended, I couldn鈥檛 resist asking about Ms. Young's toddler daughter and 95-year-old grandmother. Grandma is 鈥渟till sharp and still ornery,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he two-year-old reminds me a lot of her. And they kind of don't get along!鈥�
The room exploded with laughter. 鈥淗ow can a 95-year-old not get along with a two-year-old?鈥� I asked.
鈥淏ecause my grandmother is like the center of everything,鈥� Ms. Young said. 鈥淎nd now we鈥檝e got this new baby. And I鈥檓 like, 鈥極h my God, are you competing for attention?鈥欌��
Perhaps Ms. Young鈥檚 bipartisan skills can come in handy at home.
