Few Democrats were as adept at negotiating with Republicans as Shalanda Young, whose efforts as the White House budget director prevented the emergence of multiple possible economic catastrophes.
To prevent the country from going into default on its debt, she mediated an agreement in 2023. She fought to alleviate a scarcity of infant formula, prevent government shutdowns, and maintain disaster aid. Through a loan based on Russian assets that were blocked, she helped save aid for Ukraine.
In the Biden administration, Young might have been the most influential yet obscure individual. She also leaves as the head of the Office of Management and Budget with a record of more victories than defeats, while President Joe Biden leaves office with a mixed legacy and a low approval rating.
Her secret to success was a combination of reading the current political climate, knowing the nuances of federal expenditures, and persuading hesitant politicians that a compromise was best for them.
Former Republican Representative Patrick McHenry remarked, “She was a tremendous challenge to negotiate with because of her skills, her intelligence, and her wicked sense of humor.” “I take that as the greatest compliment possible.”
“Giving Republicans who want to do the right thing the political space to do that” is how Young, who is sitting on a couch in her high-ceilinged office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, explained her accomplishment.
Russell Vought, Trump’s former budget director, has been nominated to retake the position. Given that the House and Senate are controlled by Republicans, Vought won’t necessarily require Young’s quick-witted political acumen. He refrained from stating at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday whether he would permit Congress to approve the use of the remaining Ukraine aid.
Democrats, on the other hand, will no longer use Young to broker deals. Young, 47, feels no need to sugarcoat the difficult math because his judgment was refined during nearly 15 years as a staffer on the House Appropriations Committee.
She was able to reconcile the competing challenges brought up by the combination of toxic partisanship and difficult numbers. She accomplished this while balancing the difficulties of being a single parent to her 3-year-old daughter, Charlie. As a result, her phone conversations with senators, cabinet officials, and other people frequently featured cooing and tears.
Young remarked, “Talking to me means you know I have a child.”
In the belief that a woman could handle both the rigorous task of children and the most powerful government positions, she had made the decision to have in vitro fertilization treatments.
It meant only four weeks of maternity leave, a hectic life with little sleep and stressful phone calls.
“I was unwilling to make a decision. Both had a high chance of failing, but I wanted the job and I wanted to at least have a chance at being a parent,” Young said. “I’m happy I went with chaos.”
She was also altered by the experience of becoming a parent. She concluded that those who work 40 hours a week should be able to afford good health care and child care, and she questioned how parents with less money could manage.
Young believes that a large part of her strategy comes from her upbringing in Clinton, Louisiana, when her grandmother retired to teach basketball for her in middle school. She emphasized to her the importance of living a role model’s life: “You never know what young lady is observing you. Therefore, you should always act appropriately. Take charge of this team.
That informed her approach to closing deals. She allowed the president, lawmakers, and coworkers to be human. She considered traveling to Ukraine as a congressional staffer and playing with the children at a child facility while negotiating funds for that country.
She was concerned about an increasing number of Republicans who appeared to accept default as a risk while talks to raise the debt ceiling in 2023 were stalling. However, she asserts that a sufficient majority of the ruling party still recognizes the danger to the country and its citizens.
She shifted the negotiations to the Office of Management and Budget conference room on the White House premises, which offered more privacy, because the talks had devolved into a circus on Capitol Hill, with reporters pursuing the negotiators. “I need the right Republicans in the room, like McHenry,” she remarked.
Republicans stated that they needed to be able to present work requirements on food aid recipients to their fellow lawmakers after reaching a consensus on top-line figures. Knowing that some might lose benefits, Young accepted their demands.
Young had to bring Biden back from an overseas trip in Asia in order to finalize the arrangement. Young was certain she had a deal when they met for the last time on a Friday in May. But she had to take a plane to New Orleans to give a speech at Xavier University’s commencement. After her last phone contacts finished at three in the morning, she spoke with Biden on the phone on Saturday morning to review the agreement.
Regarding the speech, she stated, “I’m glad I went,” although she laughed when she added, “That weekend nearly killed me.”
Young acknowledged that she was particularly anxious to show the agreement to Democratic senators, fearing that they would rip her head off over the ensuing compromise.
Rather, the audience gave her a standing ovation.
She stated, “I cried like a baby.”
Although it hasn’t been revealed yet, Young has a job lined up for life beyond the White House. She expressed