Senate panel to consider Obama OMB nominee next week

President Obama’s choice for budget director will get her first public test in a confirmation hearing next week. 

Sylvia Burwell, who was nominated to head up the Office of Management and Budget, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on April 9.  

{mosads}Since her nomination in early March, Burwell has met with key Republicans and Democrats to discuss the job leading the White House’s budget office. 

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, had a positive meeting with her in the past couple of weeks and reported no issues with the nomination, a positive sign for her confirmation process. 

The Budget panel has yet to schedule a hearing. 

Burwell most recently led The Wal-Mart Foundation, and previously served as a deputy budget director in the Clinton administration.

Next week’s hearing comes before the scheduled April 10 release of the White House’s long-delayed 2014 budget. It was due Feb. 4. 

The White House has argued that uncertainty surrounding the “fiscal cliff” debate hampered the process of producing a budget.

House and Senate Republicans have hammered Obama for the nearly two-month delay. 

But, so far, lawmakers have not announced that they will place a hold on Burwell’s nomination.

Still, Republicans have not made it easy for any of Obama’s nominees. 

Senate Budget ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) has expressed strong opposition to the Democrats’ proposed budget plan, which he says reduces the deficit by only $300 billion over 10 years. 

The nonbinding budget resolution, which includes about $1 trillion in new taxes, was approved by the Senate before lawmakers left town for two-week spring recess with only Democratic support.