The Biden White House is adding two aides to its Office of Legislative Affairs team to fill vacancies amid recent criticisms of its handling of congressional affairs.
Ashley Jones, who worked as special assistant for President Joe Biden since the dawn of his administration, will replace Shuwanza Goff, a top aide for legislative affairs who departed for a lobbying gig last month. Jones previously worked for Reps. Ben Ray Luján (D-NN) and Rep. Brad Schneider (D-CA).
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Goff's departure last month was notable because she had deep ties to the hill, having served as a former aide for Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD).
Meanwhile, Lee Slater will succeed Chris Slevin as the deputy director of the legal affairs team. Slater previously worked as an aide for Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA). Slevin moved to the Commerce Department.
Biden's legislative affairs team has weathered criticism over recent years for its interaction with Democrats in Congress. During the push for Biden's so-called "Build Back Better" agenda, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) was rankled by the Biden administration and felt strong-armed. He ultimately torpedoed the initiative before coming around for the Inflation Reduction Act.
More recently, some Democrats were caught off guard by Biden's decision not to veto Republican-backed legislation to overturn a Washington, D.C., crime bill that weakened penalties. Many Democrats appeared to indicate that they were not informed about Biden's decision before he made it public. The resolution is expected to get a Senate vote Wednesday.
A majority of House Democrats voted against the resolution. Still, now that Biden has come on board publicly, many Senate Democrats signaled that they would back the resolution. Additionally, the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia has moved to withdraw the bill.
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The legislative affairs team is dealing with a new dynamic in Congress now that Republicans have taken control of the lower chamber after working with a Democratic-controlled Congress during Biden's first two years.
Amid the staff shake-up, the Biden administration faces a showdown with congressional Republicans over the budget. Biden is expected to unveil his budget blueprint Thursday and has teased some of his recommendations, including increased funding for Medicare.