The Indian Panorama

Tag: Neera Tanden

  • Real question this year is will US continue to be strong, multiracial, multiethnic, multi-religious democracy: Neera Tanden

    Real question this year is will US continue to be strong, multiracial, multiethnic, multi-religious democracy: Neera Tanden

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): As America goes out to vote in its presidential elections six months from now, the real question this year will be whether the United States will continue to be a strong, multiracial, multiethnic, multi-religious democracy, a top White House official told Indian Americans on Thursday, May 16.

    “Real question this year, which will have profound impact for the future, is whether we continue to be a strong, multiracial, multiethnic, multi-religious democracy where many of us are welcomed, all of us are part of the American dream, or whether we start retracting from that,” Neera Tanden, Domestic Policy Advisor to President Joe Biden, told Indian Americans at the annual summit and gala of Indian American Impact.

    “I think this is really a profound moment, not just for your involvement, but your leadership. It’s important to be involved in the election. It’s important to engage, but it’s also important to bring more and more people into the political process because that question really is before us in a very profound way,” Tanden said.

    The highest ranking Indian American in the White House said that her experience over the last several decades has been one of expanding opportunity. “I am really grateful that this country has welcomed my advancement. I feel very privileged to be able to work in the White House on issues that matter to Indian Americans and all Americans,” she said.

    “It is a profound honor and responsibility, but I also think part of our responsibility is to ensure that our children and our grandchildren have more opportunity in this great country than we do,” Tanden said in her remarks.

    The two-day annual event of Indian American Impact concluded Thursday.

    Referring to the Indian Americans in the US Congress and the large numbers of them in the Biden administration, in particular in the White House, Tanden said: “I just want to take a moment to recognize that our ability to lead in this administration is because there are so many voices, so many people engaged in politics and policy.”

  • Incredibly rich diaspora truly an asset to both countries, says Biden’s top aide Neera Tanden

    Incredibly rich diaspora truly an asset to both countries, says Biden’s top aide Neera Tanden

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The “incredibly rich” diaspora is truly an asset to both India and the United States, Neera Tanden, a top Indian-American aide to President Joe Biden has said as the White House prepares to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an Official State Visit next month.

    Indian Americans, who constitute about one per cent of the US population, and are said to be having the highest per capita income among various ethnic groups in the US, over the years have played a key role in strengthening the India-US relationship, a fact that has been acknowledged at the highest level, including by President Biden.

    One thing that is truly an asset to both countries is the incredibly rich diaspora here in the United States. I have been engaged with organizations that have really focused on the diaspora in the United States, and the rich connections between Indian Americans, Indians who’ve been born here, who are first generation, second generation, and their families in India. This is a major asset to the relationship, 52-year-old Tanden, senior advisor and staff secretary to President Joe Biden, told PTI in an exclusive interview.

    Friday was her last day as the senior advisor and staff secretary to the President. From Monday, Tanden would take charge as the White House Domestic Policy Advisor, making her one of the most powerful Indian Americans in the White House. She replaces former National Security Advisor and former US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, as the White House Domestic Policy Advisor.

    I’m excited for the (Indian) State Visit, Tanden said in response to a question. Modi has been invited by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for an Official State Visit on June 22. I’m really also excited for us to highlight the deep relationships between Indian Americans and their families in India and really how we learn back and forth. That’s not just a one-way conversation. We learn a lot from them, and they learn from us. It’s a big asset to the relationship that those organizations’ voices are so strong, and they are all throughout the country, not just on the east coast or the West Coast, but really, all throughout the country, Tanden said.

    Tanden started working in politics and policy in government in the late 1990s. She has been working in Washington at different levels for the last 25 years.

    I am just really proud of the role Indian Americans are playing. There were very few Indian Americans in the Clinton White House. There are very few Indian Americans in the Clinton administration. A lot of families have pushed their children in other directions, sometimes in medicine, business, and other areas. But what’s really gratifying is to be in the White House and sit at the table, and see not just Asian Americans, but a lot of Indian Americans, she said. Tanden has served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations, as well as presidential campaigns and think tanks. Most recently, she was the President and CEO of the Center for American Progress and the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

    Tanden previously served as senior advisor for health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services, working on President Obama’s health reform team in the White House.

    So just yesterday I had a meeting with Dr Arti Prabhakar on artificial intelligence, she said.

    She is an Indian American woman. I’m an Indian American woman. That’s incredibly unusual. I do a lot of work with Vinai Reddy, who’s the president’s chief speechwriter, and very close to the president, she said.

    So, I feel like I’m just incredibly proud of how much the Indian American community is contributing, South Asians are contributing to this administration, but more importantly, contributing to the country. Our voices are being heard in halls around the country, not just in medicine or business or tech, really at the highest levels of this government and more and more in Congress,” she said.

    I think what’s really important is that the President feels so strongly that our policies are better when everyone is at the table, and we bring our lived experiences. Some of my lived experiences are being an immigrant, the daughter of immigrants, and so I think that’s the president’s commitment, the vice president’s commitment.”

    “Obviously, we’re incredibly proud of having the daughter of an Indian immigrant as well as the vice president. So, I feel like our voices are louder than ever, she said. President Biden has appointed a historic large number of Indian Americans in the Administration. Is this because of his love towards Indian Americans or the merit of the Indian Americans? She was asked. Maybe both, Tanden responded.

    I really think the president is ensuring that everyone is represented and at the same time, I think Indian American leaders are demonstrating their value to the process. The president does a lot of work with Dr Vivek Murthy. He worked with him during the campaign. Vivek, I know, is very close to the president,… because Vivek is a great leader on healthcare issues. As Surgeon General during the Obama administration and Surgeon General in this administration he is just demonstrating profound leadership, Tanden said.
    (Source: PTI)

  • ‘Will work on issue of immigration says Neera Tanden ahead of taking over as new White House Domestic Policy Advisor

    ‘Will work on issue of immigration says Neera Tanden ahead of taking over as new White House Domestic Policy Advisor

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Indian-American public policy expert Neera Tanden has said her experience as a daughter of immigrants is akin to many immigrants in the US and she will work on the issue of immigration in her new role as the White House Domestic Policy Advisor.

    Tanden, 52, on Saturday, May 27 replaces former US National Security Advisor Susan Rice as the White House Domestic Policy Advisor, which is considered to be one of the most powerful positions inside the White House.

    “Currently I’m Staff Secretary, and tomorrow I’m going to…I’m extremely enthusiastic about taking over as Domestic Policy Council Advisor. My experience is like many immigrants in the United States as children of immigrants,” Tanden told PTI on Friday.

    “My father came here from India in the early 1950s, and my mother came in the 1960s. They moved to Bedford, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. They were the only Indian family in that community. So, I felt a part of that community, but also a little bit different,” she said.

    Tanden, a close confidant of President Joe Biden, was named by Biden as his Domestic Policy Advisor this month to help him craft and implement his domestic policy agenda, making her the first Asian-American to lead any of the three major White House policy councils in history.

    “My mom would occasionally wear sarees. I was different from other families in Bedford. I had that duality of being the child of immigrants. But also, being part of America.

    “What I’m really incredibly enthusiastic about in this role and excited about is one of the issues that I will take on as domestic policy advisor is the issue of immigration,” she said on the last day of her being senior advisor and staff secretary to President Biden. President Biden has a strong record of expanding legal immigration in the United States, as well as a whole host of other issues, she said.

    “I’m looking forward to working on those issues as well. And it really does feel like it comes full circle given the journey my parents made to come here, and to give me the opportunities I’ve had and that is effectuated now when I’m in this new role,” Tanden said. She said that the president has important principles which is to ensure that they are expanding legal immigration and legal pathways.

    “We have a lot of complicated issues on immigration at the border, other issues, but it’s a touchstone to ensure that America’s role as a beacon for the world, a place where there are people like my parents who made that great leap of faith to go to a place very different, live in a different world, a different culture, and try to really reach for the American dream,” she said.

    “And I know that 50, 60 years ago, 70 years ago, they would never imagine that their short daughter would be working at the White House one day. But that is one of the great aspects of our immigration policies, and we have to keep true to that, which is, fighting against efforts to restrict legal immigration and really ensure that our immigration policies reflect our values for the 21st century,” she said.

    Tanden began her career as an associate director for domestic policy in former president Bill Clinton’s White House and senior policy adviser to the first lady.

    She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and her law degree from Yale Law School. She also served as legislative director in Clinton’s office and deputy campaign manager and issues director for Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign.

    She was the director of domestic policy for the Obama-Biden presidential campaign, where she managed all domestic policy proposals.

    She also served as policy director for Hillary’s first presidential campaign, where she directed all policy work and oversaw the debate preparation process for then-Senator Hillary. During the Obama administration, she served as senior adviser for health reform at the US Department of Health and Human Services.

    In that role, she developed policies around reform and worked with Congress and stakeholders on particular provisions of then-President Barack Obama’s signature legislative achievement, the Affordable Care Act.

    She was also the president and CEO of the progressive think-tank, Center for American Progress (CAP).

    “What I’m particularly excited about is, there are so many issues that have been really part and parcel of the president’s longstanding views and principles,” she said.

    Tanden said the Domestic Policy Council champions issues around policing reform and reducing crime and ensuring that “we are working on both of those issues”. “As I just discussed, immigration, ensuring that we are improving our school’s education, is a key component and an area that I’ve worked on for a long time. I’m incredibly proud of the President’s record on the issue of healthcare. The president has dramatically expanded healthcare,” she said. For many young Indian Americans, in particular girls, Tanden has emerged as a role model.

    “My most important message is that, follow your dreams and work hard at what your dreams are. I truly believe that people will do their best work when they enjoy what they do. But I’d also say there are sometimes some really easier paths,” she said.

    “When I was growing up, a lot of our community pushed or prompted people, particularly girls to go into healthcare or a lot of family members thought it would be more successful for me to go into accounting or some, more traditional path,” she said.

    Tanden said there weren’t any role models for her among Indian Americans in government when she was a child, let alone Indian women. “I feel it is a real privilege to try to widen the path for others who come after me. This is always a marathon where we pass the baton. Many women leaders have widened the path for me. Many leaders of color have widened the path for me. Many Asian leaders have widened the path for me. And I feel like it’s part of my role to widen the path for others,” Tanden said.

  • Indian American Neera Tanden named as Biden’s domestic policy adviser

    Indian American Neera Tanden named as Biden’s domestic policy adviser

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP)– President Joe Biden announced on Friday, May 5, that Indian American policy expert Neera Tanden will serve as his new domestic policy adviser in place of Susan Rice, who plans to leave the administration later this month.
    Tanden, 53, has spent the last year-and-a-half as senior adviser and staff secretary in the White House, after her initial nomination to run the Office of Management and Budget faltered in the face of Senate opposition.
    Daughter of an immigrant single mother “from India who was left to make it on her own in America with two young children after her divorce” from her father, Tanden will be the first Asian-American to lead any of the three major White House policy councils in history. “While growing up, Neera relied on some of the critical programs that she will oversee as Domestic Policy Advisor,” Biden noted in a statement announcing the move. “I know those insights will serve my Administration and the American people well.”
    In addition, the White House announced that Stef Feldman, a longtime Biden aide dating back to the Obama administration, will replace Tanden in the role of staff secretary.
    “For over two years, Susan Rice has helped craft and implement my domestic policy agenda and our country owes a debt of gratitude for her history-making public service,” Biden said.
    “I am pleased to announce that Neera Tanden will continue to drive the formulation and implementation of my domestic policy, from economic mobility and racial equity to health care, immigration, and education.
    “As Senior Advisor and Staff Secretary, Neera oversaw decision-making processes across my domestic, economic and national security teams,” Biden said.
    “She has 25 years of experience in public policy, has served three Presidents, and led one of the largest think tanks in the country for nearly a decade,” he noted.
    She was a key architect of the Affordable Care Act and helped drive key domestic policies that became part of my agenda, including clean energy subsidies and sensible gun reform.
    “While growing up, Neera relied on some of the critical programs that she will oversee as Domestic Policy Advisor, and I know those insights will serve my Administration and the American people well. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Neera in her new role,” Biden said.
    Tanden served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations, as well as presidential campaigns and think tanks. Most recently, Tanden was the President and CEO of the Center for American Progress and the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
    Tanden previously served as senior advisor for health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services, working on President Obama’s health reform team in the White House.
    Prior to that, she was the director of domestic policy for the Obama-Biden presidential campaign, and served as policy director for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.
    Tanden served as senior advisor to the Chancellor of the New York City Schools and also served as Associate Director for Domestic Policy in the Clinton White House and Senior Policy Advisor to the First Lady.
    Tanden received her Bachelor of Science from UCLA and her Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School.

  • Indian American Neera Tanden named White House staff secretary

    Indian American Neera Tanden named White House staff secretary

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Indian-American policy expert Neera Tanden, a close confidant of US President Joe Biden, has been named White House staff secretary, eight months after Republican lawmakers scuttled her nomination to another key post. Tanden, 51, a senior adviser to President Biden was named White House staff secretary on a morning staff call on Friday, October 22, the CNN reported.

    The White House staff secretary is a behind-the-scenes but critical role in the West Wing, responsible for managing paper flow to the President from other areas of the administration and federal government. The person filling the job has been viewed as one of the most powerful in the building, it said.

    In addition to her new duties, Tanden will keep her senior adviser title “and will continue to provide leadership on particular projects and initiatives,” Politico reported, quoting a White House official. She will report to White House chief of staff Ron Klain, it said. The appointment does not require Senate confirmation. “The Staff Secretary role is the central nervous system of the White House and moves the decision-making process and manages a wide variety of issues for the President,” the White House official said. Tanden has “over two decades of experience in policy and management which are critical elements of the role. Her experience across domestic, economic and national security policy will be a key asset in this new role,” the official said. Tanden’s appointment as White House staff secretary came eight months after she withdrew her nomination as Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget due to stiff opposition from Republican senators. In March, she faced a tough time for the confirmation of her nomination as Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) over her past social media outbursts against several lawmakers, including those from her own Democratic Party.

  • Indian American President of USIBC says Free Trade Agreement is the next Frontier in India-US Ties

    Indian American President of USIBC says Free Trade Agreement is the next Frontier in India-US Ties

    WASHINGTON, DC (TIP): – A Free Trade Agreement is the next frontier in the India-U.S. relationship,Nisha Desai Biswal, Indian American president of the U.S.-India Business Council and a former U.S. diplomat, said.

    Biswal, speaking at a dinner September 30th, hosted by Indiaspora, stressed that it is not tenable for the two largest economies of the world to not have a trade architecture in place between them, though its path is riddled with “all kinds of obstacles.”

    “The time has come for us to get serious about where the next frontier is in U.S.- India ties. And neither for the United States nor for India, is it tenable for two of the largest economies in the world to be outside of the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) and to not have a trade architecture in place between the two of them,” Biswal.

    “We are starting to see real signals of interest from India to be able to explore that. So, I think the time has come to get serious. It’s not easy. It’s a path riddled with all kinds of obstacles, she said.

    It’s time for us to put down the knives, turn on the light, get down to business, she said in a lighter vein as she urged the powerful group of Indian Americans to engage the two governments on the issue, the report adds.

    Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, while addressing the 4th Annual Leadership Summit of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Sept. 30, said that India and the U.S. should engage in a much bigger way and New Delhi is ready and willing to expand the economic partnership with America.

    He also called for setting an ambitious bilateral trade target of $1 trillion in the next 10 years, according to the report. In her brief remarks on the occasion, Neera Tanden, senior adviser to President Joe Biden, said it is critical to have Indian Americans at the table, contributing, involved and engaged in helping make decisions, the report said.

    Former U.S. Ambassador to India, Richard Verma said the recent successful visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows the new chapter in this important bilateral relationship.

    U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, and Dr. Ami Bera, D-California, also spoke on the occasion.

    “The sky’s the limit,” Bera said of the potential to grow elected leaders in government. Krishnamoorthi thanked the diaspora for their outpouring of support for pandemic relief, the report added.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Indian American Neera Tanden’s confirmation vote gets delayed

    Indian American Neera Tanden’s confirmation vote gets delayed

    White House says ‘fighting’ for her nomination

    WASHINGTON (TIP):The White House has said it is “fighting” for the nomination of Indian-American Neera Tanden to lead the Office of Management and Budget as two crucial Senate committees abruptly postponed meetings on her confirmation. Speculation was rife on Wednesday, Feb 24, that the White House is struggling to get the required votes for the confirmation of Tanden, amidst strong opposition from the Republicans and a few Democratic senators over her past Twitter outbursts against several lawmakers, including those from her own party. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate Budget Committee abruptly postponed votes on Tanden’s confirmation, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb 24. “We’re fighting for the nomination, and she (Tanden) and our team remain in close contact with senators and key constituency groups. She is an expert whose qualifications are critical during this time of an unprecedented crisis,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference. If confirmed by the Senate, 50-year-old Tanden would become the first person of color to head the federal agency that prepares the annual budget of the US government. Tanden, Psaki said, had rolled up her sleeves. “She’s very engaged and doing outreach to senators, to members on the Hill – answering any questions they have and offering to do that. And we’re doing the same,” she said. “There’s one nominee to lead the budget department; her name is Neera Tanden, and that’s who we’re continuing to fight for,” Psaki said when asked if the White House is seeking for options. Tanden reportedly deleted more than 1,000 tweets before her confirmation process started. She had apologized to senators during her confirmation hearings earlier this month. President Joe Biden did not respond to questions on Tanden during a media interaction on Wednesday.

  • Indian American Neera Tanden’s confirmation hearing to lead OMB scheduled for Feb 9

    Indian American Neera Tanden’s confirmation hearing to lead OMB scheduled for Feb 9

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The confirmation hearing of Indian American political consultant Neera Tanden, who has been nominated by President Joe Biden as his budget director, would be held next week on February 9, a Senate panel announced on Tuesday. Tanden, 50, if confirmed by the Senate, would be the first woman of color and first Indian-American to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which serves the President of the United States in overseeing the implementation of his vision across the executive branch.

    Specifically, the OMB’s mission is to assist the President in meeting his policy, budget, management and regulatory objectives and to fulfill the agency’s statutory responsibilities.

    Her nomination hearing by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, experts said, is likely to be one of the most contentious confirmation battles of the Biden administration.

    Republican senators allege that she deleted more than 1,000 tweets, including criticism of Republicans.

    Soon after Biden announced her nomination, influential Senator John Cornyn, who is also co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, described Tanden as the worst nominee of Biden so far and said: “I think in light of her combative and insulting comments about many members of the Senate, mainly on our side of the aisle, that it creates certainly a problematic path to confirmation.”

    Announcing her nomination, Biden described Tanden as “a brilliant policy mind with critical practical experience across government.”

    “She was raised by a single mom on food stamps, an immigrant from India who struggled, worked hard and did everything she could for her daughter to live out her American dream. And Neera did just that. She understands the struggles that millions of Americans are facing,” Biden had said.

    Tanden was a close ally of Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, and helped pass the Affordable Care Act under President Barack Obama.

  • Indian American lawmakers say Biden, Harris will heal America

    Indian American lawmakers say Biden, Harris will heal America

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian American lawmakers hailed the leadership of US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, expressing confidence that the two leaders will heal the country, courageously face challenges and build back better. During the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s official Asian American inaugural ball, hosted virtually by the leading Indian-American advocacy organization IMPACT, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois said he is extremely happy that both Biden and Harris are finally able to take over leadership.

    Congressman Ro Khanna, who represents California’s 17th Congressional District, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, said he cannot stress “what an amazing moment this is for our community and the multi-racial democracy in America.” Congressman Ami Bera, representing California’s 7th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives, said Biden and Harris are humble people who get the importance of this moment in time to heal this country, to bring the nation together and “face with courage the challenges that are ahead of us.”

    Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said at the AAPI ‘Inaugural Ball: Breaking Barriers’ that she is proud and excited to call Harris the next US Vice President – the first woman, first South-Asian American and the first Black American to ever be elected to this “position of public trust. “Today we prove that our democracy still works and that the power always belongs to the people through the power of our vote,” she said at the virtual inaugural ball held on Tuesday, Jan 19, and added that she cannot wait to see the brighter world that “we will build together.”

    Indian American Neera Tanden, nominated by Biden as the Director of Office of Management and Budget at the White House, said she is honored to be part of the Biden-Harris administration.

    “I know for many in our community there is so much to be proud of. Not only can we celebrate an incredibly diverse cabinet, but we can also celebrate the fact that we have the first vice president” who is of Asian descent.

    Following the swearing-in of Harris, IMPACT Executive Director Neil Makhija said generations of immigrants came to the US for a better life for their children. “Today, the daughter of an Indian immigrant, who made dosas on the campaign trail, and spoke to her ‘chithis’ in her nomination speech, took her oath of office as Vice-President of the United States. “And as Kamala Harris takes her place in the American story, the hearts of her countrymen and women are swelling with pride and hope for the future,” he said, adding that the inauguration of Harris is not only the culmination of an American dream but “marks the launching of millions of new dreams. Beginning today, a generation of American children will grow up knowing only an Indian-American and Black woman as vice-president of the United States.” As Harris has said, she may be the first, but she won’t be the last. “And, with her as an inspiration, we look forward to helping the next generation prove her right,” Makhija added. National, grassroots organization South Asians for Biden’s National Director Neha Dewan said Biden and Harris are the “right leaders” for this moment “when we are experiencing multiple, converging crises, and their leadership gives us all hope that we can emerge from this as a stronger country.” She said the organization is heartened by the fact that the South Asian community played a critical role in the 2020 election and looks forward to deepening the community’s engagement in government and politics in the months and years ahead. With Harris breaking barriers as the first Black and South Asian woman elected to national office, Dewan said: “for South Asians who wondered whether this moment could ever be possible, today affirms that America at its best is a land of limitless opportunities.”

  • Twenty Indian Americans Nominated for Key Roles in Biden-Harris Administration

    Twenty Indian Americans Nominated for Key Roles in Biden-Harris Administration

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Just before the historic inauguration, US President-elect Joe Biden has either nominated or named at least 20 Indian Americans, including 13 women, to key positions in his administration, a new record in itself for this small ethnic community that constitutes one per cent of the country’s population. As many as 17 of them would be part of the powerful White House complex.

    The January 20th inauguration, the 59th in all, wherein Biden has been sworn in as the 46th President of the United States is already historic in the making as for the first time ever a woman Kamala Harris would be sworn as the vice president of the country.

    Harris, 56, is also the first ever Indian-origin and African American to be sworn in as the Vice president of the United States.

    It is also for the first time ever that so many Indian Americans have been roped into a presidential administration ever before the inauguration. Biden is still quite far away from filling all the positions in his administration.

    Topping the list is Neera Tanden, who has been nominated as Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget and Dr Vivek Murthy, who has been nominated as the US Surgeon General.

    Vanita Gupta has been nominated as Associate Attorney General Department of Justice, and on Saturday, Biden nominated a former foreign service official Uzra Zeya as the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.

    “The dedication that the Indian American community has shown to public service over the years has been recognized 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 M R Rangaswami told media. Mala Adiga has been appointed as Policy Director to the future First Lady Dr Jill Biden and Garima Verma would be the Digital Director of the Office of the First Lady, while Sabrina Singh has been named as her Deputy Press Secretary.

    For the first time ever among the Indian Americans include two who trace their roots to Kashmir: Aisha Shah, who has been named as Partnership Manager at the White House Office of Digital Strategy, and Sameera Fazili, who would occupy the key position of Deputy Director at the US National Economic Council (NEC) in the White House.

    White House National Economic Council also has another Indian American, Bharat Ramamurti, as Deputy Director.

    Gautam Raghavan, who served at the White House in the previous Obama Administration returns to the White House as Deputy Director in Office of Presidential Personnel.

    Among Biden’s inner circle is his top confident for year Vinay Reddy, who has been named as Director Speechwriting.

    Young Vedant Patel all set to 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 made their way to the crucial National Security Council of the White House, thus leaving a permanent imprint on the country’s foreign policy and national security.

    They are Tarun Chhabra: Senior Director for Technology and National Security, Sumona Guha, Senior Director for South Asia, Shanthi Kalathil: Coordinator 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 and Vidur Sharma has been appointed as Policy Advisor for Testing for the White House COVID-19 Response Team.

    Two Indian Americans women have been appointed to the Office of the White House Counsel: Neha Gupta as Associate Counsel and Reema Shah as Deputy Associate Counsel.

    Also, for the first time in any administration, the White House would have three other South Asians in key positions. Pakistani American Ali Zaidi as Deputy National Climate Advisor White House; Sri Lankan American Rohini Kosoglu as Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President and Bangladeshi American Zayn Siddique: Senior Advisor to the White House Deputy Chief of Staff.

    During the campaign, Biden had indicated that 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, as I have throughout my career,” Biden had said in his 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 Obama Biden 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 the top of the heap, our dear friend (Kamala Harris) who will be the first Indian American vice president in the history of the United States of America,” Biden said in his video address.

  • Indian Americans in the incoming Biden administration

    Indian Americans in the incoming Biden administration

    Jaskiran Saluja

    NEW YORK (TIP): Joe Biden-Kamala Harris team has nominated a number of Indian Americans to positions in their administration. It is a common knowledge that Indian Americans have excelled in every field. They are CEOs of top Corporations, distinguished professionals and academics, besides doing very well in businesses. In politics, too, they have announced their arrival in a big way. Their administrative acumen is also well recognized.

    Here are some Indians Americans whose nominations have already been announced. It is believed, many more Indian Americans will soon be joining the incoming Biden-Harris administration. 

    1. Neera Tanden
      Director of the Office of Management and Budget

    President-elect Joe Biden nominated Neera Tanden to be the next director of the Office of Management and Budget on November 30, 2020. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she would make history becoming both the first woman of color and the first South Asian American to lead the OMB.

    Born in 1970 in Bedford, Massachusetts, obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1992, and a law degree from Yale Law School in 1996.

    She worked for the campaign of President Bill Clinton, who was seeking reelection that year. The following year, she landed a job at the White House press office. Later, Tanden joined the White House domestic policy office as an associate director.
    In 2000, she served as a policy director and deputy campaign manager for former First Lady Hillary Clinton’s victorious senatorial bid from New York. She went on to work for the newly elected senator as a legislative director from 2003 to 2005. During Clinton’s first presidential run in 2008, Tanden served as a policy director, and in the general election campaign, she worked for Barack Obama as domestic policy director.

    In the first Obama administration, Tanden was one of the point persons on the Affordable Care Act, as a senior advisor to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

    In 2010, she joined the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, as the chief operating officer. In November 2011, she succeeded John Podesta as the organization’s President and CEO.

    1. Vivek Murthy
      Surgeon General of the United States

    Vivek Murthy was nominated as the next US Surgeon General, a role he previously held during the Obama administration, by President-elect Joe Biden on December 7, 2020. Currently serving as a member of Biden’s team, as co-chair of the COVID task force, Murthy will reprise the role he held from 2014-2017, albeit with more responsibility.

    If confirmed, this time around Murthy will be a part of a team responsible for responding to the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed the lives of more than 280,000 Americans and hospitalized millions more.

    Murthy could face difficulty in receiving a confirmation from the senate however, given the opposition he faced during his Senate confirmation process in 2014.

    Born in England to Indian immigrants, Murthy was raised in Miami after his parents moved to the US to establish their medical practice. After earning his BA in biochemical sciences and graduating magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1997, Murthy received his MD from Yale School of Medicine and his MBA from Yale School of Management. As an 18-year-old freshman at Harvard, Murthy co-founded VISIONS Worldwide, a non-profit organization aimed to raise HIV/AIDs education in the US and India, with his sister Rashmi.

    1. Vanita Gupta

      Associate Attorney General

    If confirmed by the Senate, Gupta would be the first woman of color to serve in the role of associate attorney general

    Biden told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware, as he announced some of the key nominations in the Justice Department on Thursday, January 8, “As associate attorney general, the number three job at the department, I nominate Vanita Gupta. A woman I’ve known for some time. One of the most respected civil rights lawyers in America”.

    Gupta started her career at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. She then went on to the ACLU and then to the Justice Department during the Obama-Biden administration, where she led the civil rights division, Biden said.

    “At every step, with every case, she fought for greater equity and the right to right the wrongs of a justice system where they existed,” he said.

    She has done so by bringing people together, earning praise from across the ideological spectrum for her approach to solving some of the thorniest problems the country faces, he added. During the Obama-Biden administration, Gupta was put in charge of investigating the abuse of power in police departments in Ferguson, Missouri and other communities torn apart by acts of violence and racial injustice.

    1. Bharat Ramamurti
      Deputy Director of the National Economic Council

    Bharat Ramamurti was nominated as the Deputy Director of the National Economic Council (NEC) by President-elect Joe Biden on Dec. 21, 2020.

    He is currently the Managing Director (MD) of the Corporate Power program at the Roosevelt Institute. Ramamurti previously worked as the top economic advisor to Senator Elizabeth Warren during her 2020 presidential campaign.

    “I’m honored to be joining the Biden-Harris administration as Deputy Director of the National Economic Council. We have much to do to get through this crisis and create a stronger and fairer economy — and I’m excited to get to work alongside this great team,” he tweeted.

    He will also be working with Biden-picks Joelle Gamble and David Kamin on the National Economic Council.

    After earning his bachelor’s from Harvard College, Ramamurti received his JD from Yale Law School. He then worked as an intern for the Boston Red Sox’s legal department.

    Ramamurti currently lives in Boston with his wife and child.

    1. Vedant Patel
      Assistant Press Secretary

    Before being named as Assistant Press Secretary, Vedant Patel served as a senior spokesperson of the Biden Presidential Inaugural Committee. During the 2020 general election campaign, he was the Regional Communications Director for the Democratic nominee. During primary campaign, he served as the Nevada and Western Primary-States Communications Director for Biden. Patel has also worked as Communications Director to Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Western Regional Press Secretary at the Democratic National Committee, and Communications Director to former Rep. Mike Honda. Born in Gujarat, India and raised in California, Patel is a graduate of the University of California-Riverside and the University of Florida.

    1. Vinay Reddy
      Director of speechwriting

    Before being named as director of Speechwriting, Vinay Reddy served as a Senior Advisor and Speechwriter for the Biden-Harris campaign. During President Obama’s second term, Reddy served as chief speechwriter to Vice President Biden.

    Reddy played several roles during the Obama administration, having served as both senior speechwriter at the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services, and as deputy speechwriter for the Obama reelection campaign.

    Reddy, who grew up in Dayton, Ohio, also worked as a speechwriter for the Buckeye State Sen. Sherrod Brown.

    After leaving the White House, he worked as Vice President of Strategic Communications for the NBA.

    Reddy, second of three sons of Indian American parents, studied in Ohio’s public schools from kindergarten through law school. He is an alumnus of Miami University and the Ohio State University College of Law. He currently lives in New York with his wife and their two daughters.

     7.Gautam Raghavan
    Deputy Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel

    Gautam Raghavan is a trailblazing Indian American who has served in multiple positions at the White House and on Capitol Hill in the past decade. Prior to being named as the Deputy Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel, he worked as the Deputy Head of Presidential Appointments on the Biden’s transition team. Raghavan is one of a number of Obama officials tapped by Biden who has worked with the president-elect. Before joining the Biden transition last year, Raghavan served as Chief of Staff to Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, for roughly two years.

    Before that, he was the founding executive director of Indian American Impact Fund, a political advocacy group that encourages and support members of the community that run for elected offices across the country.

    Like many Biden officials, Raghavan also has experience working with the president-elect, having served as an Advisor to the Biden Foundation.

    Raghavan also worked as the Policy Director of the Gill Foundation, based in Denver, Colorado, one of the oldest and largest private foundations dedicated to the cause of LGBTQ equality.

    From 2011 to 2014, Raghavan served in the Obama White House as the president’s liaison to the LGBTQ and the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. He was the first openly gay Indian American official in the Obama administration.

    He also served in the White House Liaison Office for the US Department of Defense and as Outreach Lead for the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Working Group.

    1. Mala Adiga
      Policy director Jill Biden

    Mala Adiga has been named the policy director to the would-be First Lady Jill Biden in November 2020. Previously, she served as a senior advisor to Dr. Jill Biden, and as one on the Biden-Harris Campaign. Adiga has also served as the Director for Higher Education and Military Families at the Biden Foundation.

    During the Obama administration, Adiga served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She also served as both Senior Advisor to the Ambassador-at-Large and as Director for Human Rights on the National Security Staff.

    Prior to that, she was Counsel to the Associate Attorney General in the Department of Justice. Before entering government service, Adiga worked on the 2008 Obama presidential campaign.

    Adiga was a litigation associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago and clerked for US District Court Judge Philip Simon in the Northern District of Indiana before joining the campaign.

    Adiga, whose parents are from Udupi in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, grew up in Illinois. She is a graduate of Grinnell College, the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and the University of Chicago Law School.

    Adiga’s father Dr. Ramesh Adiga, who is the second among three siblings, came to the United States at the age of 25 to hone his skills as a vascular surgeon. Mala’s mother Jaya Adiga had studied medicine in Vellore.

    1. Aisha Shah
      Partnerships Manager, White House Office of Digital Strategy

    Aisha Shah, who was born in Kashmir and raised in Louisiana, has been named as a Partnerships Manager in the 12-member White House Office of Digital Strategy. Shah, an Advancement Specialist for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, previously served as a Digital Partnerships Manager for the Biden campaign. Her previous stints include working as an Assistant Manager on the Corporate Fund of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and serving as a Strategic Communications Specialist at Buoy, an integrated marketing firm that specializes in social impact communications. She is a graduate of Davidson College.

  • Political Debate Turning Americans Against Each Other: Neera Tanden

    Political Debate Turning Americans Against Each Other: Neera Tanden

    Washington: The political debate in the current election season has turned Americans against each other, Indian-American Neera Tanden from the Clinton campaign has claimed, while her counterpart from the Trump’s camp said the national prestige has gone down under the Obama regime.

    “The political debate this election season is turning Americans against each other,” Ms Tanden, co-chair of the Clinton Transition Team said during the first ‘Town Hall Meeting: Election 2016’.

    The townhall was organized by the DC chapter of South Asian Bar Association (SABA).

    “Some people are turned away from events because of how they look like is a very unfortunate development,” she said in response to a question.

    The Trump Campaign, represented by Puneet Ahluwalia who was recently appointed as the its advisor on Asia Pacific American Advisory Body.

    Mr Ahluwalia alleged the prestige and reputation of the United States under the Obama Administration has come down. and terrorism is on the rise.

    “The country is on a disastrous path. Our national prestige is down. We have to bring our country back again,” he said.

    Ms Tanden disagreed strongly to the allegations and claimed the friends and allies of the US are today worried and anxious a lot because of the rhetoric of Trump.

    “If she (Clinton) is so fortunate to be the president she would have an administration that would look like America,” she said.

    Referring to the fact that Clinton was the founder of co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, Ms Tanden said the Democratic presidential nominee is in the best interest of Indian-Americans and Indo-US relationship.

    The two Indian-American leaders from the GOP and Democratic parties sparred on various policy issues including economy, tax, jobs, health care and student loans.

    “This election has repercussions well beyond the executive, it will no doubt have a significant impact on Congress and the Supreme Court,” Rahul Das, chief of SABA said.

    “Donald Trump has vented the frustration of a lot of middle American youth,” Mr Ahluwalia said, adding that jobs of youths have been taken away.

    “He has given a sign to them that things have to change for the better,” he said.

    Responding to a question if the candidate is a role model for the child, the two Indian-Americans raised the personal allegations against the two presidential candidates.

    Ms Tanden first referred to the recent surfacing of a video in which Trump is seen making lewd remarks about women.

    Ahluwalia asked the young lawyers not to think about becoming a White House intern, because of the past allegation on former US President Bill Clinton.

    He said Mr Trump is a role model and as a successful businessman, the Republican presidential nominee has raised some great kids.

    Citing some of the rhetorics against minorities, Sikhs and Muslims, Ms Tanden said Trump can never be a role model.

    Referring to the accomplishments of the Bush Administration, Ahluwalia said Indo-US relations will be best under a Republican Administration.

    Responding to a question on Trump’s presence at an Indian American event in New Jersey, he said it shows that Trump has respect for the Indian-Americans and Hindus.

    “The party is open to immigrants who are willing to abide by the rules and enjoy the success of America,” he added.

    Countering him, Ms Tanden said , “this election cycle has been stark. For the first time I have faced anti-India slur and hate messages. I have been told that I would be deported, though I am born in the US,”

    “Do you know of an Indian-American who was thrown out of a Trump event,” she said referring to the level of intolerance in Trump Campaign and event.

  • Democratic Convention, Philadelphia July 25-28, 2016Obama Steers 2016 Presidential Election away from Trumpism

    Democratic Convention, Philadelphia July 25-28, 2016

    Obama Steers 2016 Presidential Election away from Trumpism

    PHILADELPHIA (TIP): Barack Obama, July 27 made a powerful endorsement of Hillary Clinton as the next US President, saying no one including himself was ever more qualified than his former secretary of state, as Democrats united against “homegrown demagogues” like Republican rival Trump who sell “fear and cynicism”.

    The two-time president, also the first black to have occupied the top post, said he was “ready to pass the baton” to his rival in 2008 as he painted an optimistic picture of an “already great nation”.

    “I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman-not me, not Bill (Clinton), nobody-more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America,” Obama said amid deafening cheers from thousands of delegates and guests packed into a sports arena here.

    In his 45-minute fiery speech, the most high-profile in the ongoing Democratic national convention, Obama asked Americans to shun “cynicism and fear” being propagated by the 70-year-old reality TV star.

    “And now I’m ready to pass the baton and do my part as a private citizen. So this year, in this election, I’m asking you to join me, to reject cynicism and reject fear and to summon what is best in us; to elect Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation,” he said.

    Obama, 54, said the November 8 presidential elections were a “fundamental choice” about what the country is and the very “meaning of our democracy”, and “not just a choice between parties or policies; the usual debates between left and right.”

    He endorsed Clinton for having a first-hand knowledge of the challenges that come with the job and contrasted it with the lack of experience of the Republican nominee – a non-politician.

    “You know, nothing truly prepares you for the demands of Oval Office. Until you’ve sat at that desk, you don’t know what it’s like to manage a global crisis, or send young people to war. But Hillary’s been in the room; she’s been part of those decisions.

    “He (Trump) is not really a plans guy. Not really a facts guy, either. He calls himself a business guy, which is true, but I have to say, I know plenty of businessmen and women who’ve achieved success without leaving a trail of lawsuits, and unpaid workers, and people feeling like they got cheated,” he said.

    The third day of the convention also witnessed Vice President Joe Biden making an emotional valedictory speech and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine formally nominated as vice-presidential candidate.

    “Ronald Reagan called America ‘a shining city on a hill’. Donald Trump calls it ‘a divided crime scene’ that only he can fix. It doesn’t matter to him that illegal immigration and the crime rate are as low as they’ve been in decades, because he’s not offering any real solutions to those issues. He’s just offering slogans, and he’s offering fear. He’s betting that if he scares enough people, he might score just enough votes to win this election,” he added.

    “That is another bet that Donald Trump will lose. Because he’s selling the American people short. We are not a fragile or frightful people,” Obama said.

    Obama said democracy doesn’t work if people constantly demonize each other.

    “She (Hillary) knows that for progress to happen, we have to listen to each other, see ourselves in each other, fight for our principles but also fight to find common ground, no matter how elusive that may seem,” he said.

    Making a passionate plea to elect Hillary as his successor, Obama said time and again, they have elected him. “Tonight, I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me. I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me,” he said.

    Indian-Americans in spotlight at democratic convention

    The growing clout of Indian-Americans in US politics came to spotlight as three leaders from the community took the center stage at the ongoing Democratic National Convention that anointed Hillary Clinton as party’s presidential nominee

    Neera Tanden
    Neera Tanden

    Neera Tanden in her political debut at the national stage of the Democratic party, made a strong case for Clinton as the next president of the US

    Ami Bera
    Ami Bera

    Ami Bera, an Indian-American Congressman, in his brief appearance said: “As the only South Asian member of Congress, as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I support Hillary Clinton because she is the only candidate that understands the complexity of the world and is prepared from day one to lead America.”

    Raja Krishnamoorthi
    Raja Krishnamoorthi

    Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Indian-American Democratic Congressional candidate from Illinois, has been introduced as one of the party’s emerging leaders during the convention.

     

     

    Tim Kaine Accepts Vice-Presidential Nomination  

    Tim Kaine is the running mate of Hillary Clinton
    Tim Kaine is the running mate of Hillary Clinton

    Democrats gathered in Philadelphia formally selected Tim Kaine as their US vice-presidential candidate, completing the party’s ticket for the November election. Kaine, a 58-year-old senator from the battleground state of Virginia, was nominated by voice vote

    The tickets are now set for both parties: Hillary Clinton and running mate Kaine for the Democrats, with Republicans Donald Trump and running mate Mike Pence, both of whom were nominated last week and their party’s convention in Cleveland.

    With working-class roots and a spotless record both as Virginia governor and senator, he is seen as helping Clinton garner support among reluctant independent male voters-although at the risk of alienating the party’s progressive left wing.

    Prez Trump? God help us: Bloomberg to voters 

    Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg labeled Trump a conman
    Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg labeled Trump a conman

    Independent former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg told divided Americans it was time to unite behind Hillary Clinton in order to defeat “demagogue” Donald Trump “Trump says he wants to run the nation like he’s running his business? God help us,” Bloomberg, who like Trump is a billionaire businessman, told the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia

    “I’m a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one.” He issued stinging rebukes to Trump, describing him as singularly unfit for the presidency and calling his business plan “a disaster in the making.”

  • Indian-Americans in spotlight at democratic convention

    Indian-Americans in spotlight at democratic convention

    The growing clout of Indian-Americans in US politics came to spotlight as three leaders from the community took the center stage at the ongoing Democratic National Convention that anointed Hillary Clinton as party’s presidential nominee

    Neera Tanden
    Neera Tanden

    Neera Tanden in her political debut at the national stage of the Democratic party, made a strong case for Clinton as the next president of the US

    Ami Bera
    Ami Bera

    Ami Bera, an Indian-American Congressman, in his brief appearance said: “As the only South Asian member of Congress, as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I support Hillary Clinton because she is the only candidate that understands the complexity of the world and is prepared from day one to lead America.”

    Raja Krishnamoorthi
    Raja Krishnamoorthi

    Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Indian-American Democratic Congressional candidate from Illinois, has been introduced as one of the party’s emerging leaders during the convention.

  • Indian American Neera Tanden Appointed To Democratic Party’s Policy Panel

    Indian American Neera Tanden Appointed To Democratic Party’s Policy Panel

    Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced the appointment of the party Platform Drafting Committee’s 15 members who will draft its policy agenda for the November presidential election.

    Among the members is Indian American Neera Tanden, 45, who has been a long-time associate of Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, is being touted as a potential cabinet member if Clinton is elected as the US president in the November general elections.

    The panel is responsible for developing and managing the process through which the platform is established which is similar to the election manifesto parties have in India.

    Tanden, the president of the Center for American Progress (a top US think-tank), has served as a Clinton surrogate and worked as policy director for Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2008. She was a key protagonist in developing President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform proposals – the Affordable Care Act – during her tenure in the Obama administration.

    U.S. Democratic Party
    U.S. Democratic Party

    “We are delighted to bring together this talented group of Democrats. These individuals represent some of the best progressive thinking from across the nation. I am confident that the members of this committee will engage Americans in a substantive dialogue of ideas and solutions that will inform our Party Platform,” Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultzshe said.

    Congressman Elijah Cummings has been appointed as chair of the drafting committee.

    The committee’s members are Rep. Elijah Cummings, Howard Berman, Paul Booth, Carol Browner, Rep. Keith Ellison, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Rep. Barbara Lee, Bill McKibben, Deborah Parker, State Rep. Alicia Reece, Bonnie Schaefer, Ambassador Wendy Sherman, Neera Tanden, Dr. Cornel West, and James Zogby.

    Sanders said he was satisfied with the way the committee’s seats were distributed.

    “We believe that we will have the representation on the platform drafting committee to create a Democratic platform that reflects the views of millions of our supporters who want the party to address the needs of working families in this country and not just Wall Street, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry and other powerful special interests,” he said in a statement.

    Clinton campaign press secretary Brian Fallon also said their camp is happy with the fact that Sanders will have more input in the party platform.

    “We’re pleased that the upcoming Democratic Convention will ensure supporters of Senator Sanders are well represented in the drafting of the party’s platform,” Fallon said. “The Democratic Party historically has been a big tent, representing a diverse coalition, and Hillary Clinton is committed to continue welcoming different perspectives and ideas.”

  • Indian American Neera Tanden Leads Clinton Campaign In Slamming Trump’s Policies

    Indian American Neera Tanden Leads Clinton Campaign In Slamming Trump’s Policies

    WASHINGTON:  Indian American Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) on Wednesday, May 11, led the Hillary Clinton campaign in slamming the economic policies of Donald Trump, Republican presidential presumptive nominee, and alleging that this poses threat to the economic future of women and families.

    “Make no mistake: Trump’s divisive comments about women’s health are a direct threat to our dignity and economic security,” said Ms Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

    “Trump is now trying to cover up the bald spots in his economic plan but women can see for themselves and women can see through his comb over,” said Ms Tanden who was joined by Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland.

    The two said that the trillions in tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires and corporations laid out in Trump’s tax plan would be an enormous boon for the top one per cent of earners, made at the expense of working families, seniors and the health of the economy.

    Trump’s plan would give USD 3 trillion over 10 years or more than 35 per cent of its tax breaks to millionaires, enough money to ensure Medicare and Social Security’s solvency for the next 75 years, repair the ailing infrastructure, or raise every person now living in poverty up to the poverty line.

    Trump would give multi-millionaires in the top 0.1 per cent like himself a raise of USD 1.3 million a year, or USD 100,000 a month.

    Ms Tanden alleged Trump’s ideas are not the only risk his presidency would pose for the economic future of women and families around this country.

    “His tax plan gives USD 3 trillion to millionaires, that’s enough to make Social Security and Medicare solvent for 75 years. Women, who rely disproportionately on Social Security, can’t afford such an irresponsible giveaway,” Ms Tanden said.

    Ms Tanden and Mikulski said Trump still opposes raising the minimum wage because he believes “wages are too high” and recently said he doesn’t favor a federal floor for the minimum wage, which could leave many workers subject to a lower minimum wage.

    At a time when two-thirds of minimum wage workers are women, this issue is critical to working families, they said. “I’m with Hillary because I know that she’s the only candidate who will make fighting for women and families her priority,” Mikulski said.

  • Indian American Neera Tanden Leads Clinton Campaign In Slamming Trump’s Policies

    Indian American Neera Tanden Leads Clinton Campaign In Slamming Trump’s Policies

    WASHINGTON:  Indian American Neera Tanden on Wednesday led the Hillary Clinton campaign in slamming the economic policies of Donald Trump, Republican presidential presumptive nominee, and alleging that this poses threat to the economic future of women and families.

    “Make no mistake: Trump’s divisive comments about women’s health are a direct threat to our dignity and economic security,” said Ms Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

    “Trump is now trying to cover up the bald spots in his economic plan but women can see for themselves and women can see through his comb over,” said Ms Tanden who was joined by Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland.

    The two said that the trillions in tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires and corporations laid out in Trump’s tax plan would be an enormous boon for the top one per cent of earners, made at the expense of working families, seniors and the health of the economy.

    Trump’s plan would give USD 3 trillion over 10 years or more than 35 per cent of its tax breaks to millionaires, enough money to ensure Medicare and Social Security’s solvency for the next 75 years, repair the ailing infrastructure, or raise every person now living in poverty up to the poverty line.

    Trump would give multi-millionaires in the top 0.1 per cent like himself a raise of USD 1.3 million a year, or USD 100,000 a month.

    Ms Tanden alleged Trump’s ideas are not the only risk his presidency would pose for the economic future of women and families around this country.

    “His tax plan gives USD 3 trillion to millionaires, that’s enough to make Social Security and Medicare solvent for 75 years. Women, who rely disproportionately on Social Security, can’t afford such an irresponsible giveaway,” Ms Tanden said.

    Ms Tanden and Mikulski said Trump still opposes raising the minimum wage because he believes “wages are too high” and recently said he doesn’t favor a federal floor for the minimum wage, which could leave many workers subject to a lower minimum wage.

    At a time when two-thirds of minimum wage workers are women, this issue is critical to working families, they said. “I’m with Hillary because I know that she’s the only candidate who will make fighting for women and families her priority,” Mikulski said.

  • American India Foundation Gala raises $200000 for healthcare in rural India

    American India Foundation Gala raises $200000 for healthcare in rural India

    WASHINGTON: The Washington, DC, chapter of the American India Foundation (www.aif.org – Twitter @AIFoundation) raised more than $200,000 for its Maternal and Newborn Survival Initiative (MANSI), at its annual gala held at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD, on Friday, Nov 06.

    MANSI has been primarily designed to reduce maternal and child mortality in rural, impoverished areas of India.

    Founded in 2001 at the initiative of then US President Bill Clinton, the community organisation engaged in catalysing social and economic change in India, raised the amount at its annual Washington DC gala Friday.

    The gala featured Mamta Mahato, a 26-year old health worker from Jharkhand, India. She shared that skills training from AIF’s MANSI programme has enabled her to safely deliver over 90 healthy newborns in her village.

    Indian Ambassador to the United States Arun K. Singh, prominent lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar and President of the Center for American Progress Neera Tanden along with over 250 influential guests were at the power-packed gala.

    The gala also saw Javed Akhtar being honored by Indian Ambassador to the US Arun Kumar Singh.

    “The American India Foundation is steering relations between the world’s largest democracy and the world’s most powerful democracy,” he said thanking AIF for the great work it has done towards supporting important social causes in India.

    Mr Singh addressed the current development challenges in India and the solutions being implemented across the country, including initiatives to revitalise the economy through entrepreneurship and start-ups.

    He highlighted the crucial contribution of AIF’s initiatives in female literacy and empowerment to this national economic effort.

    “The effort of the government has to be supplemented by what civil society and people like you are able to do,” he said.

    Praising the involvement and contribution of the American Indian community in strengthening villages and small towns in India, Akhtar said, “What is wonderful about you is that you have not forgotten your connect to India.”

    Teresa Carlson, Vice President of the Global Public Sector at Amazon. Teresa Carlson emphasized the entrepreneurial potential of India.

    Venkatesh Raghavendra, AIF Senior Director thanked the young leaders of the greater Washington DC area for having taken ownership of the AIF’s cause.

    The gala also recognized the leadership of Neera Tanden, President of The Centre for American Progress, Kumar Barve, member of the Maryland House of Delegates and Aziz Haniffa, managing editor at India Abroad.

  • Indian-American Maya Harris gets key role in Hillary’s presidential race

    Indian-American Maya Harris gets key role in Hillary’s presidential race

    Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has named Indian-American Maya Harris to head a team of senior policy advisers to put together her presidential campaign’s agenda.

    Harris, 46, has a background in human rights, having served as vice-president of Democracy, Rights and Justice at the Ford Foundation. She is the younger sister of Kamala Harris, the California attorney general who is now running for senate. Their mother is of Indian descent and father is from Jamaica.

    Harris went to Berkeley and then Stanford law school. She considers her mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris, a cancer researcher who came to the US from Chennai in 1960, as a major influence, and her elder sister.

    Harris will work with Ann O’Leary, a former legislative director to Clinton when she was in the Senate, and Jake Sullivan, a top aide to Clinton while she was secretary of state.

    Neera Tanden, who heads liberal-leaning think tank Centre for American Progress, is the other Indian American who is likely to be around Clinton as a trusted, long-time adviser.

    Clinton, who announced her second run for the White House on Sunday, is still putting together her team, her strategy and her message.

    Politico, the news publication that first reported Harris’s appointment, said the composition of her team was an early indicator of issues Clinton will press during the campaign.

    Harris brings experience in pursuing human rights issues around the world, Sullivan will do the heavy-lifting on foreign policy and O’Leary on children and family.

    Harris is married to Tony West, who left the Obama administration last September after five years as associate attorney general in the department of justice. West was an early supporter of Obama and landed a senior position in the administration upon his election. Harris is sure to land a senior position herself if Clinton wins.

  • Indian-American Pentagon official to join think-tank

    Indian-American Pentagon official to join think-tank

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Vikram Singh, the highest-ranking Indian-American at the Pentagon, is joining an eminent US thinktank after serving the Obama administration in various positions for over five years. Singh, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia, is joining the Center for American Progress (CAP) as its vice-president for national security and international policy and will oversee its work on national security around the globe, while continuing his focus on Asia.

    He will officially join CAP in March. “Vikram is a leading foreign policy thinker of his generation and has tackled the country’s greatest foreign policy challenges during his time at the State Department and the Pentagon,” CAP president Neera Tanden said in a statement. “As we continue to shape a pragmatic foreign policy strategy over the next decade, Vikram’s insights, sharp strategic mind and experience will guide our work,” Tanden said.

    Before his current appointment at the Pentagon, Singh was the deputy special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Department of State, during which he played a key role in shaping the Af-Pak policy of the Obama administration. Singh has also served in the Department of Defense as a senior advisor, representing the department in National Security Council policy reviews of Pakistan and the war in Afghanistan and later leading the development of the department’s post-2014 strategic approach to South and Central Asia.

    Prior to his most recent assignments at the Pentagon, Singh served in the Department of Defense from 2003 through 2007 on a number of defense policy issues, including programs to train and equip foreign military forces, US military counterinsurgency and irregular warfare capabilities, stability operations, disaster response and humanitarian assistance, and the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review.

    As a fellow at the Center for a New American Security from 2007 to 2009, Singh published widely on defense strategy, national security policy, and Asia. Singh lived and worked in Sri Lanka while running a Ford Foundation program on minority rights and conflict in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Lanka. He also reported on the Lankan civil war for the Voice of America.

  • 5 Reasons why Indian Americans (Heart) Obama

    5 Reasons why Indian Americans (Heart) Obama

    Interests, values, and history all suggest that the natural political home for Indian-Americans is the GOP,” declares Sadanand Dhume in a bold essay on theAmerican Enterprise website. The resident fellow at the conservative think tank describes the community’s abiding loyalty to the Democratic Party, especially Barack Obama, as “utterly illogical,” arguing that with “a little effort and the right arguments, the Romney-Ryan campaign ought to be able to make inroads” into the fastest growing segment of America’s immigrant population.

    Whatever these arguments may be, Paul Ryan’s speech at the Republican National Convention didn’t make them. There was nary a word about immigrant work ethics or success -the very things that Dhume argues ought to make Indians opt for the party that celebrates free opportunity. And the only pitch Ryan made for tolerance was to call on the Republicans to embrace the Mormon Mitt Romney as a good Christian.

    Dhume may dismiss the “gaudy identity politics of the Democratic Party,” but at the very least, it is nice to have your existence acknowledged and appreciated.

    The essay also doesn’t answer the more important question: Why do Indians vote overwhelmingly for the Democratic Party? The answers lie partly in the failures of the GOP, in the strengths of its rival, but more so in the unique values, priorities, and worldview of the Indian American community – which conservative analysts often misread. A file photo from when Michelle with her husband in 2010.

    Conservatives claim that while Democrats talk diversity, Republicans do diversity. Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal have become the poster children for the GOP’s minority credentials and success. They are ensconced in their governor’s mansions while all the Indian American Democrats who ran for Congress in 2010 lost. When Obama gave his first State of the Union speech, Jindal gave the Republican response. Both Haley and Jindal were given speaking roles at the 2012 Republican convention (though Hurricane Isaac kept the latter at home). But Indian Americans also understand that while a Jindal or a Haley or a Mia Love, the Haitian American Tea Partier from Utah, get their turn up on stage, the floor of the convention hall remains as resolutely red, blue and WHITE as ever. Haley and Jindal’s skin color gives the GOP the tan it needs so it doesn’t look like a party of grumpy old white men.

    While Indian Americans are happy to anoint “our” Bobby and Nikki as “Person of the Year,” they understand that the duo also symbolize the high price of admission to the Old Boys Club. Dhume acknowledges as much when he says both “tend to wear their conversion to Christianity on their sleeves” but dismisses such grouses as “trifles.” But Indian Americans take note of how Nikki Haley runs as far away as she can from her identity, aside with one obligatory “I am the proud daughter of Indian immigrants” line at the Republican convention. They notice the omission when the same “proud daughter” of Punjabi storeowners sees no reason to even mention the recent shootings of Sikhs in Wisconsin. As for Jindal, Sunil Adam writes in the Asian Correspondent, he is “widely, if not necessarily openly, ridiculed by Indian-Americans for flaunting his born-again Christian credentials; many see it as a betrayal of the Hindu faith he was born into.”

    Both come to the community for money but don’t want to speak up for it. Reacting to Wisconsin, Haley issued a carefully worded statement that avoided the slightest hint of identification. “It’s very sad to see something like this happen to a peaceful place of worship,” said the woman who was married in a gurudwara.

    Ajay Kuntammukala of an Indian American Republican political action committee said that the community needs to realize that these candidates are American first and Indian second – even as it fundraised for them. He also added: “We need to make sure we are not out front. We are not the face of the campaign.” That kind of deep nervousness about looking too “ethnic” within the GOP offers a stark contrast to a Democratic President who wears his immigrant roots on his sleeve – and in his unaltered foreign-sounding name. In many ways Obama’s presence in the White House is far more reassuring to Indian Americans than Paul Ryan’s appearance at the Wisconsin memorial.

    For all the fuss over Haley and Jindal, Indians are happier with the brand of diversity practiced by the Obama White House. Sure, they are impatient to see one of their own in his cabinet, but Obama has done well enough with a number of high profile Indian-American staffers. Aneesh Chopra, Preet Bharara, Kal Penn, Neal Katyal, Sonal Shah, Preeta Bansal – the breadth of the appointments from US Attorney to the National Science Foundation to Chief Technology Officer is especially reassuring to a community which places huge emphasis on education and merit. These high-ranking jobs are all the more valuable because they are rewards for achievement, not pats on the back for identity.

    And unlike many of their fellow Americans, desi parents don’t usually aspire for a political career for their children.” We are still not there on acceptability of politician being a career path” said Anurag Varma, vice president of the Indian American Leadership Initiative, “Who is going to marry a politician?” But an invitation from President Obama to become his Chief Technology Officer makes for serious bragging rights.

    The sheer number of Indian American faces – whether running for elected office or in appointed posts – reflects the advantage Democrats enjoy in attracting Indian Americans, which gives them access to a deeper and richer pool of candidates. Less important than the fact that five Indian American Democrats lost in 2010 is the fact that there were five of them. In 2008, there was only one. “Our worst case scenario is not they might all lose,” Varma said in 2010. “Our worst case scenario would be zero running for office.”

    Indian is not Indian American

    One of the common errors made by analysts is to over-emphasize the importance of Washington’s India policy to the Indian American constituency. It is true that Republican presidents enjoy a warmer relationship with New Delhi than their Democratic peers, and the Republican party platform in 2012 hails India as a “geopolitical ally and a strategic trading partner” but the differences are often a matter of degree -and not sufficient to make a dent in the voting tallies.

    The big sticking points for New Delhi-outsourcing and Pakistan-don’t matter as much to the Indian American voter. All that Obama rhetoric about outsourcing is mostly dismissed as electoral posturing. Nor do Indian Americans hear the constant references to Bangalore as a kind of racist dog whistle – not when it comes from a black president who has actively courted and praised their community. Besides, Obama is no Pat Buchanan (the stridently protectionist Republican candidate who ran on a hyper-nationalist plank). Most desis believe that no middle-of-the road American politician will ever seriously clamp down on offshoring jobs.

    for Pakistan, it would be a priority if we were still in the polarized Cold War era, when it enjoyed a special and exclusive relationship with Washington. But in 2012, no one doubts that keeping New Delhi happy is a priority for all presidents, Republican or Democrat. The other less-recognized truth: Indians and Pakistanis in America often build close personal ties. Being thrown together as outsiders in a foreign land makes cultural affinities – around Bollywood, food, cricket – more valuable than political differences. And the divisions imported from the homeland grow ever less significant with each passing generation. There are Indian organizations aimed at lobbying specifically for a more aggressively India-leaning South Asia policy. But its absence is not exactly a deal-breaker for Indian Americans come Election Day.

    Family values

    “If the GOP is the party of the nuclear family-a Pew survey finds that 88 percent of Republicans say they have “old-fashioned values” about family and marriage, compared with just 60 percent of Democrats-then should it not also be the party of Indian-Americans?” asks Dhume. But the problem for the GOP is that their rhetoric rarely matches the performance of their leaders. From the much-married Newt Gingrich to Sen. David Vitter whose number popped up in the D.C. Madam’s phonebook, GOP leaders make no better family men than a philandering John Edwards. Besides, no conservative dadi in America prays every day, “Please God, if my grandson has to marry someone who’s not Indian, let her at least be a Republican.” For the socially conservative desi, one American is as morally suspect as the other.
    The other problem is that the GOP stripe of social conservatism tends to fixate on two issues –

    abortion/contraception and homosexuality. The first is a non-issue for Indian immigrants, inured as they are to family planning homilies and ads for Marie Stopes clinics (not to mention an unfortunate penchant for sex selection.) The latter isn’t regarded as a particularly Indian issue, perhaps because there are so few gay desis visible in American culture. Besides, sexuality – deviant or normal – is viewed as a ghar ka mamla, hardly something to talk about on the campaign trail.

    The party’s born-again conservatism -which is all about Bible thumping and creationism- is distinctly Christian and unwelcoming. When a Hindu chaplain was invited to lead prayers in the Senate in 2007, Republican Congressman Bill Sali worried it would remove “the protective hand of God” from America. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council caustically remarked, “I seriously doubt that Americans want to change the motto, ‘In God we Trust,’ which Congress adopted in 1955, to, ‘In gods we Trust.’ No conservative Indian is likely to feel at home in such political company.
    An immigrant is an immigrant is an…

    As a prosperous model minority, desi Americans may have little affinity for “the party of food stamps, affirmative action, and welfare without work,” as Dhume puts it. But they do have a stake in building a racially and ethnically inclusive America which allows them to thrive and succeed in relative safety.

    Whatever the political differences between the different minority groups, the reality on the ground for Indians is that they are harassed for looking “un-American,” be it Muslim, Mexican or just brown. The gurudwara attacks confirmed what most Indian Americans already know: An anti-immigrant or anti-foreigner climate can be fatal to them, irrespective of whether they are the intended targets. And this well-grounded fear does not endear the Republicans to their Indian constituents. In the aftermath of 9/11 and the rise of the Tea Party, the GOP is increasingly perceived as the party of the flag-waving, anti-foreigner white male American.

    Valarie Kaur offers the telling example of her father, a lapsed Republican, on CNN.com:
    My Sikh American father was a Republican, proud to belong to the party of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. He raised my brother and me with lectures on the value of hard work, small government and independence. My own progressive politics in college made for colorful arguments at the Thanksgiving table. It wasn’t until the decade after 9/11 – after witnessing firsthand how his party caved to fear-mongering, racial profiling and expansive federal power – that he joined me in campaigning for candidate Obama. My father is one of millions of brown and black Americans alienated by a Republican Party that has forgotten its own values.

    Paul Ryan’s presence at the Wisconsin memorial or the history-making Sikh invocation at the Republican convention, therefore, smacks of tokenism in the backdrop of a party held hostage to a base enraged at all immigrants, including their “foreign” president. Indian Americans may not agree with many of Obama’s policies, but as Neera Tanden told India Real Time, “President Obama’s temperament and policies accentuate tolerance and acceptance of people of different religions and races. So it makes a lot sense for Indians, who are often both a religious and racial minority to support the president in large numbers.” In a racially and religiously charged post-9/11 atmosphere, Obama’s very presence – the immigrant’s kid who made it to the White House – offers the ultimate reassurance. A reason perhaps why a whopping 85 percent of Indian Americans have a favorable impression of him, compared to just 23 percent who like Romney.

    Sadanand Dhume’s essay sets up Indian Americans as deluded creatures, addicted to “a toxic culture of victimhood” and easily swayed by facile appeals to racial diversity; unable to see their own true self-interest. This is ironically the same kind of argument liberals have used to dismiss blue collar Americans who vote Republican. It’s always a bad sign when you start to blame the voter for losing his vote. The bottom-line is that the GOP leadership’s willingness to appease its most xenophobic elements has come at a high price for the party, alienating even those who may share its fiscally conservative values. This is not a problem of “outreach.” This is a problem of identity- of the Grand Old Party, and what it has become.