Biden picks top US Indian talent
PRESIDENT-ELECT HOPES HIS NOMINEES WILL ‘RESTORE AMERICA’S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP’
US PRESIDENT-ELECT Joe Biden has nominated at least 21 Indian Americans, 13 of whom are women, to key positions in his incoming administration, a record for the small ethnic community that constitutes one per cent of America’s population.
The 78-year-old Biden was set to be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday (20), along with Kamala Harris, 56, who will take an oath as the first woman vice-president. She will also be the first Indian African to occupy the post.
Biden, a Democrat, is yet to fill all the positions in his administration, but a significant number so far are from the Indian community.
Topping the list are Neera Tanden, who has been nominated as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget and Dr Vivek Murthy, who has been picked as the US surgeon general.
Vanita Gupta has been nominated as associate attorney general at the Department of Justice. Last Saturday (16), Biden nominated former foreign service official Uzra Zeya as the under secretary of state for civilian security, democracy and human rights.
“This diverse and accomplished team, led by secretary of statedesignate Tony Blinken, embodies my core belief that America is strongest when it works with our allies,” Biden said.
“Collectively, they have secured some of the most defining national security and diplomatic achievements in recent memory. I am confident they will use their diplomatic experience and skill to restore America’s global and moral leadership. America is back.”
Zeya served most recently as CEO and president of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, where she drew on more than two decades of diplomatic experience in Far East, south Asian, European, human rights, and multilateral affairs.
As chargé d’affaires and deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Paris from 2014 to 2017, she oversaw the day-to-day operations of the embassy, six constituent posts, and 50 offices and agencies engaged in US government work. Zeya quit against outgoing president Donald Trump’s policies in September 2018.
“The dedication the IndianAmerican community has shown to public service has been recognised in a big way at the very start of this administration. I am particularly pleased that the overwhelming majority are women. Our community has truly arrived in serving the nation,” Indiaspora founder MR Rangaswami said.
On Monday (18), Biden named Indian American Rohit Chopra as the head of a federal agency tasked with protecting the interests of consumers financials. If confirmed by the Senate, he will succeed Kathleen Laura Kraninger as director of the consumer financial protection bureau. Chopra, currently a commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, has advocated to promote fair, competitive markets that protect families and honest businesses from abuse.
Mala Adiga has been appointed as policy director to the future First Lady, Dr Jill Biden. Garima Verma will be the digital director for the office of the First Lady, while Sabrina Singh is the White House deputy press secretary.
For the first time, Indian Americans nominated to the Biden administration include two who trace their roots to Kashmir. Aisha Shah has been named as partnership manager at the White House Office of Digital Strategy, while Sameera Fazili will occupy the key position of deputy director at the US National Economic Council (NEC) in the White House.
The White House National Economic Council also has another Indian American, Bharat Ramamurti, as its deputy director.
Gautam Raghavan, who served at the White House in the previous administration under Barack Obama, returns to the White House as deputy director in Office of Presidential Personnel.
Among Biden’s inner circle is his top confidant for years, Vinay Reddy, who has been named as director of speechwriting.
Vedant Patel will occupy a seat in the White House lower press, behind the briefing room, as assistant press secretary to the president. He is only the third-ever Indian American to be part of the White House press shop.
Three Indian Americans have been named to the crucial National Security Council of the White House. They are Tarun Chhabra, senior director for technology and national security; Sumona Guha, senior director for south Asia; and Shanthi Kalathil, co-ordinator for democracy and human rights.
Sonia Aggarwal has been named senior advisor for climate policy and innovation in the Office of the Domestic Climate Policy at the White House, while Vidur Sharma has been appointed as policy advisor for testing for the
White House Covid-19 response team. Biden last Friday (15) announced an ambitious goal of inoculating 100 million Americans with Covid-19 vaccines in the first 100 days of his administration.
Two Indian American women have been appointed to the Office of the White House Counsel – Neha Gupta is to be associate counsel and Reema Shah as deputy associate counsel.
Also, for the first time in any administration, the White House will have three other south Asians in key positions – Pakistani American Ali Zaidi as deputy national climate advisor for the White House; Sri Lankan American Rohini Kosoglu as domestic policy advisor to the vice-president; and Bangladeshi American Zayn Siddique as senior advisor to the White House deputy chief of staff.
During the campaign, Biden had said he would rope in a large number of Indian-Americans.
“As president, I’ll also continue to rely on Indian-American diaspora that keeps our two nations together,” Biden said in his video address to the Indian-American community during a virtual celebration of India’s Independence Day on August 15, 2020.
“My constituents in Delaware, my staff in the Senate, the ObamaBiden administration, which had more Indian-Americans than any other administration in the history of this country, and this campaign with Indian Americans at senior levels, which of course includes ... our dear friend (Harris) who will be the first Indian-American vice-president in the history of the United States of America,” Biden had said.