The nominations by US President-elect Joe Biden for his incoming administration have been in stark contrast with that of Trump administration in terms of diversity. Biden had promised a diverse team that will “look like the country”, which reflected in the selection of his running mate, Kamala Harris, and the nominations announced in the past few weeks.
After the election results were declared in November 2020, Biden named over 20 Indian-Americans to his agency review teams (ARTs), providing a glimpse to his nomination strategy. However, President Donald Trump’s reluctance to concede defeat created a major problem for Biden’s transition team, which was followed by riots in US Capitol on January 6, the day when Congressional leaders had gathered to certify the Electoral College vote.
The US Congress finally certified Biden’s victory on the early morning of January 7 after law enforcement agencies brought things under control. The focus has again shifted to Biden’s inauguration, scheduled for January 20, and the representation of Indian-American community in the administration has grabbed the limelight.Here’s the list of Indian-Americans nominated for key positions in Biden administration:
1. Neera Tanden, Director of the Office of Management and Budget
2. Dr Vivek Murthy,
Surgeon General
3. Vanita Gupta, Associate Attorney General
4. Ali Zaidi, Deputy National Climate Advisor
5. Gautam Raghavan, Deputy Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel
6. Bharat Ramamurti, Deputy Director for the National Economic Council for Financial Reform and Consumer Protection
7. Vinay Reddy, Director of Speechwriting
8. Rohini Kosoglu, Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President
9. Shanthi Kalathil, Coordinator for Democracy and Human Rights
10. Mala Adiga, Policy Director to Dr Jill Biden
11. Tarun Chhabra, Senior Director for Technology and National Security
12. Sumona Guha, Senior Director for South Asia
13. Aisha Shah, Partnerships Manager, Office of Digital Strategy
14. Sabrina Singh, Deputy Press Secretary, Office of the Vice President
15. Vedant Patel, Assistant Press Secretary