The Indian Panorama

Tag: Democratic National Committee(DNC)

  • Indian American Woman becomes the first ever CEO of Democratic National Committee

    Indian American Woman becomes the first ever CEO of Democratic National Committee

    WASHINGTON(TIP): Indian American Seema Nanda has been announced as the CEO of the opposition Democratic National Committee. She vows to fight for the “soul of the country” and ensure the victory of Democrats in every corner of the US in the crucial upcoming mid-term elections.

    “We are fighting now for the soul of our country, for our democracy and for opportunity,” Ms Nanda, the first Indian- American ever to be the Chief Executive Officer of either the Democratic National Committee or the Republican National Committee took over reigns of the main opposition party on July 23.

    In this capacity, she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the powerful Democratic National Committee (DNC).

    She would play a key role in party’s winning strategy in the mid-term November elections, for which the DNC has set a target of winning back the House of Representatives from the Republicans.

    “Democrats are offering the positive solutions so desperately needed right now, solutions forged by the strength of our diversity, the rigor of our ideas, and the decency of our values,” she said.

    “Since (President Donald) Trump took office, it’s been clear that the number one best way for us to set our country back on track is to elect Democrats in every corner of our country. That’s why I took this job,” Ms Nanda said in her first message to Democratic supporters.

    Ms Nanda said supporting the Democratic party is synonymous with building a future for the children that they can be proud of.

    “My promise to my two teenage boys is to do all I can to create an America that is bright, fair, and that works for everyone, where opportunity for all means something,” she said.

    “Our party is strong because it’s built on forging positive solutions that include everyone. I’m proud to be the first Asian-American in recent memory to lead the DNC. Democrats are leading with our values and empowering people from diverse backgrounds to speak up and make our voices heard,” Nanda said.

    The fight to take back the country for working families is one that all must fight together, she said, adding “At the DNC, we have committed to helping Democrats win back seats at all levels of government, because we need Democrats from the school board to the Senate to take back our country”.

    Noting that everything is at stake with this year’s midterm elections in November, Nanda said Democrats are investing in state parties, putting organizers on the ground in all 50 states, and mobilizing 50 million voters by November through their nationwide ‘I Will Vote’ campaign.

    “We’re setting our sights and our goals higher than ever before in order to help Democratic leaders fight and win all across our country,” Nanda said.

    “As we head toward a crucial election, I’m one hundred percent certain that Seema’s leadership will help the DNC capitalize on the unprecedented grassroots energy and enthusiasm surging throughout the country,” DNC Chairman Tom Perez had said on her appointment last month.

    Ms Nanda’s appointment is seen as another sign of the political emergence of Indian-American in particular women in the country’s political arena.

    Nanda, whose parents are dentists, grew up in Connecticut. She went to the Brown University and Boston College Law School.

    She also has a background in labor and employment law and has worked in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

     

  • Indian American Sabrina Singh is key player to offensive communication strategy of the Democratic party

    Indian American Sabrina Singh is key player to offensive communication strategy of the Democratic party

    WASHINGTON(TIP): Sabrina Singh joined the Democratic National Committee (DNC) last year as its spokeswoman and deputy communications director. She alleged that the ruling Republican party has “created a toxic environment” and is struggling with telling the truth thus being a key player in the offensive communication strategy of the Democratic party against the alleged divisive policies of the Donald Trump administration.

    The Democratic leader said she is inspired by the works of her grandfather Sardar JJ Singh to fight the divisive policies of the Trump administration.

    As head of the India League of America, JJ Singh was a key figure among Indians in America fighting for the right to US citizenship.

    Some 18 months after Donald Trump entered the White House, Ms Singh said, the Democrats have gone on the offensive. “Democrats certainly have the wind at their backs right now. We’re holding the administration accountable and we’re not gonna let up until November and onwards till 2020. We just have to keep harnessing the momentum to keep charging forward,” she said.

    “What one sees every day is the Trump administration lobbying new attacks at different groups whether it’s Latino’s or Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI). The Trump administration has not done their job of their promise of ‘draining the swamp’. I think, if anything, it has gotten swampier,” Ms Singh said.

    In 1940s, JJ Singh along with a group of fellow Indians mounted a nationwide campaign against racially discriminatory policies of the US which led the then president Harry Truman to sign the Luce-Celler Act on July 2, 1946. The Act allowed a quota of 100 Indians to immigrate to the United States per year.

    The Act also permitted Indian nationals already residing in the US (of whom there were approximately 2,500-3,000 at the time) to become naturalized American citizens.

    Prior to the Luce-Celler Act, Indians were barred from becoming US citizens and they were allowed to enter the country only as visitors and tourists. “It’s a really important time to be working at the DNC. It’s a really important time to be a woman of color working in Washington,” Ms Singh said.

    “While the environment can be tough to wake up to see a tweet from Donald Trump saying ‘fake news, this is rigged and that is rigged and everyone’s out to get me’, I think we’re seeing a lot of incredible activism,” she said referring to various popular protests against the Trump Administration.

    Ahead of the November mid-term, Ms Singh said the focus of the DNC under its chair Tom Perez is to get as many seats as possible from the Congress to elected posts at local level.

    “People are excited about the mid-terms. People are ready for change. People are seeing that Trump is not delivering on some of the things that he campaigned on,” she claimed.

    Responding to the criticism that the Democratic party has now become a party of protests and marches, Ms Singh said, “We are holding the administration accountable. And one way to do that is to rally and to protest and to speak out. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with people going to the border to protest the administration’s policies that are separating families.”

    “We are not just anti-Trump. We are organizing and making sure that we are electing leaders at all levels…We are going to fight to make sure that women have the right to make the choices about their own reproductive health,” she added.

    Ms Singh alleged that the White House strategy is not to tell the truth to the press or the public. “You see Sarah Sanders or Raj Shah get in front of the podium every day and essentially lie to the American people,” she alleged.

    At the same time, Ms Singh noted that Mr Trump uses Twitter “very effectively” and is able to reach his base.

    “Many of his supporters like that he is very honest and truthful, but I think it’s also a bit scary for many people in this country to see Trump attacking our allies over twitter, or name calling sitting senators, and members of Congress, whether it’s racial slurs or derogatory names,” she said.

     

     

  • Indian American Seema Nanda appointed as the new CEO of Democratic National Committee

    Indian American Seema Nanda appointed as the new CEO of Democratic National Committee

    WASHINGTON D.C.(TIP): Indian American Seema Nanda has been appointed as the new CEO of the Democratic National Committee. Announcing the appointment, DNC said in a press release that Nanda, who served on​ the transition team of DNC Chair Tom​ Perez, will manage the organization’s day-to-day operations.

    “This position is the opportunity of a lifetime, for which I am incredibly honored and humbled,” Nanda said in a statement issued by the DNC. “People are hurting all across our country. And I believe that Democrats are offering the positive solutions so desperately-needed right now – solutions forged by the strength of our diversity, the rigor of our ideas, and the decency of our values. I am grateful to Chairman Perez and Mary Beth for selecting me, and I look forward to joining my new DNC colleagues in the fight for our nation’s values and future.”

    The selection of Nanda is significant because it comes in a mid-term cycle that is seen by Democrats as a make-or-break election. Women have been playing a highly visible role in the party’s efforts to snatch at least one chamber of Congress, which will enable Democrats to block parts of the agenda of President Trump.

     “I’m beyond excited that Seema is bringing her talent and brilliance to the DNC,” said Perez said in a statement. “I’ve seen firsthand Seema’s exceptional ability to lead. She is a seasoned manager who has a proven track record of success and a well-documented history of fighting for our Democratic values, whether it’s on immigration, civil rights or leveling the playing field for our workers.”

    Besides serving on the transition team, which reviewed DNC’s operations after the disastrous 2016 presidential elections, Nanda also worked as Perez’s chief of staff to while he was the Secretary of the US Department of Labor. At the department, she also served as Deputy Solicitor.

    Perez said he was “one hundred percent certain that Seema’s leadership will help the DNC capitalize on the unprecedented grassroots energy and enthusiasm surging throughout the country.”

    Nanda, a graduate of Boston College Law School and Brown University, succeeds the current CEO Mary Beth Cahill, who will continue to serve through the transition.

    Nanda’s appointment came after a five-month search.

    “If there’s anything I’ve learned during my search for a permanent CEO, there’s no shortage of qualified and passionate leaders in our party. Seema undoubtedly fits the bill,” said Cahill. “With Seema joining our senior leadership team, I know that the DNC will be in good hands. Working alongside Chairman Perez and the team has been an honor and a privilege. Though I’m leaving my role in the building, I’ll never stop working to make sure Democrats everywhere continue to win from the school board to the Oval Office.”