Washington, DC: Congressman Ami Bera’s father, 83-year-old Babulal Bera, is reported to have admitted in court on Tuesday, May 10th that he violated campaign finance laws after he was charged with making excessive contributions to his son’s Congressional campaign and often did so in the name of other people. Babulal Bera is reported to be facing a 30-month prison term after pleading guilty to two counts of violating campaign finance laws by funneling contributions to his son’s congressional campaign via straw donors.
The only Indian American Congressman Ami Bera, a physician by profession, is seeking his third congressional term to retain California’s CD 7 seat. Rep. Bera is facing a tough race against Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, a Republican. Bera said via a press statement issued that he knew nothing of his father’s activities. “I am incredibly saddened and disappointed in learning what my dad did. While I deeply love my father, it’s clear he has made a grave mistake that will have real consequences for him,” said Bera.
“Since I learned from authorities about this investigation, my team and I have cooperated fully with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Neither I, nor anyone involved with my campaign, was aware of my father’s activities until we learned about them from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and, on the advice of my attorney, I have not discussed this matter or anything else regarding my campaigns with my father,” said the congressman, adding that he has returned the full dollar amount to the U.S. Treasury.
According to charging documents made public via Pacer, Babulal Bera — after donating the maximum amount allowed by law, $2,400, to his son’s first bid for office in 2009 — began soliciting friends and family members to contribute equal amounts, with the promise that he would reimburse them for their donations with his own money. Court papers state that prosecutors have identified 130 improper campaign contributions from 90 donors, in the 2010 and 2012 election cycles, attributable to Babulal Bera.
The contributions were made in the 2009 and 2011 election cycles. In 2009, the elder Bera reimbursed people for more than $225,000 in donations. During the 2011 elections, Bera’s parents donated more than $40,000, court documents show, media reports stated. The fraud was determined from the campaign’s Federal Election Commission quarterly report filings.
The National Republican Congressional Committee immediately called upon Bera to “return dirty campaign cash.” “As new reports reveal that illegal donations helped finance his campaigns, Ami Bera needs to immediately return the hundreds of thousands of dollars of illegal campaign contributions he has accepted,” said NRCC spokesman Zach Hunter. “It defies belief that Rep. Bera was unaware of these activities, and 7th District voters deserve to know the truth,” he added.
At a news conference on May 10, acting U.S. Atty. Phillip A. Talbert said: “Congressman Bera and his campaign staff have been fully cooperative in this investigation. To date, there is no indication from what we’ve learned in the investigation that either the congressman or his campaign staff knew of, or participated in, the reimbursements of contributions.”
The case may be a political setback for Rep. Bera, who has won his two elections with slim margins in what have been billed as one of the most expensive Congressional campaigns in the country. Political analyst Kevin Raggs, speaking to Local TV channel KCRA 3, said stakes are higher this time round for the Democrats because getting a House majority could be in play. “So what happens with Bera’s seat really does have potential national implications,” Raggs contended. As per reports, Babulal Bera signed a plea agreement on May 2, pleading guilty to one count of making excessive campaign contributions and one count of making campaign contributions in another person’s name. Both charges carry maximum penalties each of up to five years in prison or a fine of $250,000 for each count, or both fine and imprisonment. He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 4.
According to the plea agreement, prosecutors have agreed not to seek a prison sentence of more than 30 months. They have also agreed not to bring charges against Babulal Bera’s wife, Kanta Bera. Babulal “Bob” Bera — a native of Gujarat — immigrated to California in 1958 to earn a master’s degree from the University of Southern California. Two years later, Kanta joined him, and attended USC to earn her graduate degree. She then worked as a public school teacher. Babulal Bera, is said to told the judge, when asked whether he had broken the law, “I have indeed done the crime.
The recent guilt plea by Congressman Ami Bera’s father, 83-year-old Babulal Bera, that he had violated campaign finance laws by making excessive contributions to his son’s Congressional campaign and now facing a 30-month prison term after pleading guilty to two counts of violating campaign finance laws has brought to the fore the discussions about the power of money in the election process in the greatest democracy in the world. While, no one can condone the so-called illegal ways of contributing money to his son’s tough election battle in the state California, Babulal Bera’s action is so insignificant to the way the rich are influencing the elections and their outcomes across the nation.
In this context, the US Supreme Court ruling in 2013, with the then conservative majority by a 5-4 margin affirming their earlier decision disallowing any limit on corporate election spending, is very significant. Everyone knows the impact of the court’s ruling that has ushered in an era of unprecedented money power that is unleashed on the citizens of this country, influencing their beliefs and voting patterns.
The Supreme Court ruling not only allows individuals and corporations to contribute unlimited money to their respective political parties and candidates, but also they could remain anonymous from disclosing their names and the amount to the public. In the name of the First Amendment, corporations and individuals pour in millions of Dollars into campaigns. The irony is that these biggest donations are given to tax-free advocacy groups of political parties and campaigns in defiance even of the admonition in Citizens United that independent contributions should be disclosed. Congress can — and should — require disclosure of secret donations. The Internal Revenue Service should crack down on political organizations that pose as tax-exempt “social welfare” organizations to avoid current disclosure rules.
The net result of this ruling and its national implications are that rich people are going to buy our elections. Estimates say, the money raised during the 2012 cycle of elections has exceeded an unprecedented three Billion Dollars. If President Obama had vowed to raise a Billion Dollars, his opponent, Mitt Romney raised more money than the President every month since he secured his Party’s nomination.
The 2016 election cycle is going to break all the past records. More than six months before the General Elections, according to a Washington Post report, of the $461.7 million donated so far to support Democratic candidates, 17 percent has been raised by super PACs and other independent groups. The presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton raised $191 million and allied super PACs and other independent groups raised$72.9 million. The presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders raised $184.3 million and allied super PACs and other independent groups raised$4.4 million. Republican Party is not behind in any away. Of the $765.6 million donated so far to support Republican candidates, 55 percent has been raised by super PACs and other independent groups.
This is a blow to democratic governance. It means that the political process in this country is going to be up for sale. It allows billionaires to buy the political process. Businesses all over the place want to do away with regulation on business practices. The banks and finance companies are for deregulation. They don’t want government regulation. The corporations that do not want government regulators to monitor their shady deals could pour in millions of Dollars to elect a President or a Member to the Congress or a Senator of their choice and who would favor their unregulated plundering and mismanagement of wealth and ways to generate profits. This is also true with the elected Judiciary members, where there are cases where corporations have poured millions into an election to oust or have a Judge favorable to deregulation elected to the Courts.
It was of some relief to note Justice Stephen Breyer sharing his unwillingness to accept the majority’s belief, expressed in Citizens United, that independent expenditures do not give rise to corruption or even give the appearance of corruption. He also pointed out that the majority conservative Justices had made it plain that they did not have the slightest interest in reconsidering or altering its (unjust) decision.
Democracy is of the people, by the people and for the people, where a majority decide the type of government and leaders they want to rule over the country. However, when money decides who the winner is and the ruling party is going to be, it is not true democracy. A small minority with its money power is able to buy votes, influence elected officials and ultimately has a greater say in policy making. The more the money the rich spend, the more chance they have, they think, of getting their way and of getting policies that are more to their liking. Billionaires come in and spend tens of millions of dollars to defeat a candidate they don’t like or to support a candidate they do like.
The First Amendment is about freedom of speech. It’s not about freedom to spend unlimited amounts of money in an election to buy votes and influence elections and policies. There’s a difference between speaking freely and the sort of influence-peddling that campaign finance reform laws attempt to protect. And in allowing unlimited political spending, this court has opened the door to corruption and to special interest domination of politics. David Axelrod, President Obama’s political strategist, recently invoked a common perception about the 2012 campaign by blaming the Supreme Court for empowering 21st-century “robber barons trying to take over the government.” And that’s not democracy.
This year’s Democratic presidential primary contest has been surprisingly competitive, and it’s not over yet. As the race enters its final weeks, Bernie Sanders and his supporters are stepping up their efforts to pry loose some of the “superdelegates” who are backing rival Hillary Clinton. Which made us wonder: Just who are these 700-plus party officeholders and insiders who automatically get delegate spots at July’s convention and can vote for whomever they want?
In short, they’re the embodiment of the institutional Democratic Party – everyone from former presidents, congressional leaders and big-money fundraisers to mayors, labor leaders and longtime local party functionaries. Nearly six-in-ten are men, close to two-thirds are white, and their average age (as best we could tell) is around 60.
Superdelegates (not an official designation, by the way; their formal name is “unpledged party leaders and elected officials”) will account for just under 15% of all delegate votes at July’s Democratic National Convention. We worked from a list made public by the national Democratic Party (originally to Vox), and updated and corrected it to account for deaths, resignations and, in at least one case, criminal conviction. We came up with a total of 713 named superdelegates (a handful of slots are still vacant), then used a mix of official biographies, news reports, social-media postings and other sources to determine each superdelegate’s gender, race/ethnicity and, in most cases, age.
Not just anyone gets to be a superdelegate. Under party rules, all sitting Democratic governors (21, including the mayor of Washington, D.C.), senators (47) and representatives (193) automatically get their convention tickets punched. So do 20 “distinguished party leaders” – current and former presidents and vice presidents, retired House and Senate Democratic leaders, and all past chairs of the Democratic National Committee, the party’s governing body.
But most superdelegates gain that status because they’re DNC officers or members. That includes the chairs and vice chairs of each state and territorial Democratic Party; 212 national committeemen and committeewomen elected to represent their states; top officials of the DNC itself and several of its auxiliary groups (such as the Democratic Attorneys General Association, the National Federation of Democratic Women and the Young Democrats of America); and 75 at-large members who are nominated by the party chairman and chosen by the full DNC. (Most of those at-large members are local party leaders, officeholders and donors or representatives of important Democratic constituencies, such as organized labor.)
Overall, the superdelegates skew male (58%) and non-Hispanic white (62%). Blacks account for about a fifth of the superdelegates, and Hispanics about 11%. (We could not determine the race and ethnicity of 13 superdelegates.)
The party’s official policy of encouraging gender equity and racial/ethnic diversity is most reflected among the superdelegates coming from the DNC itself: The male-female split is nearly equal (220-212), and non-Hispanic whites make up less than 60% of the total. The House members are similarly diverse on racial and ethnic lines, but two-thirds are men. Two-thirds of the senators and governors are white men, as are all but two of the distinguished party leaders.
Part of the “super” in superdelegates is that they’re not bound to support any particular candidate, and are free to shift their allegiance – or refrain from committing to anyone – right up to the convention’s roll-call vote on the nomination. While many Sanders supporters say the entire superdelegate system is undemocratic, the Sanders campaign wants to turn their flexibility in his favor, arguing that Sanders’ recent primary victories (most recently in Indiana) are reasons superdelegates should back the senator rather than Clinton.
But based on their public endorsements to date, that looks to be a heavy lift. According to our count, 500 superdelegates are backing Clinton against just 42 for Sanders; that translates into 498 and 41 convention votes, respectively, because the superdelegates representing overseas Democrats have a half-vote each. (Fair warning: Any such counts are inherently imprecise – the Associated Press, for instance, has similar but slightly different numbers.) More than 85% of Democratic governors, senators and representatives are supporting Clinton, as are 61% of superdelegates from the DNC.
Thirty-two of Sanders’ superdelegate supporters, or 76%, are white, versus 62% of Clinton’s superdelegates. About 41% of her superdelegates are women, versus 26% of Sanders’.
Although we could find age information for only 547 superdelegates, what we do have suggests that Sanders’ superdelegates are a bit younger, on average, than Clinton’s: The average age of superdelegates backing Sanders was 58.9, versus 60.8 for Clinton’s supporters; their median ages were 60.8 and 61.9, respectively.
The Treasury Department has decided to place a portrait of Harriet Tubman on the new $20 bill and keep Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill. The choice of Tubman for the $20 bill makes a lot of sense, by contrast, The New York Times wrote. Tubman’s list of achievements is long and distinguished. She escaped slavery and helped scores of others to flee to freedom on the Underground Railroad. She worked as a scout and spy for the Union during the Civil War, gathering intelligence that proved incredibly useful. And she was a suffragist who helped fight for women’s right to vote after the Civil War.
In addition to the decision to place Tubman on the $20 bill, the Treasury secretary, Jacob Lew, also announced that the back of the $10 bill would feature images of five suffragists – Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul and Susan B. Anthony – and the back of a new $5 bill will have an image of Marian Anderson, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Eleanor Roosevelt. Designs for the three bills will be unveiled in 2020 and the first to go into circulation will be the new $10, followed by the $20 and the $5.
Although it will take years before these bills go into circulation, as Lew says designing anti-counterfeiting measures takes time, and for the first time the Treasury will add tactile features to the notes for blind and visually impaired people, Lew and the Federal Reserve, which orders currency notes from the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, are expected to do everything they can to speed up the introduction of these bills.
Jackson has been on the $20 bill since 1928 and it is not clear exactly why he was put there in the first place. That seems like quite a lot of time to have one highly controversial and destructive personality on American currency. And Lew says that Jackson will remain on the back of the $20 bill in some form, so he won’t exactly be gone and forgotten.
NEW YORK — Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Diego Rodriguez, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that NORMAN D’SOUZA, the former chief financial officer and vice president of finance of a New Jersey-based furniture wholesaler and retailer (“Company-1”) and an Indiana-based furniture manufacturer affiliated with Company-1 (“Company-2”), pled guilty today to participating in a fraudulent scheme to obtain $17 million in loans from a commercial bank based in New York, New York (the “Bank”) and $1 million in municipal loans from Gas City, Indiana (the “City”), by making false statements and providing false and fraudulent documents concerning the Companies’ financial condition. D’SOUZA pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As he admitted in court today, Norman D’Souza repeatedly misrepresented the financial condition of two companies to deceive a bank and a municipality into lending the companies $18 million dollars, which was never repaid. Together with our partners at the FBI, we will continue to aggressively pursue accounting frauds like this one, which caused millions of dollars in losses.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Diego Rodriguez said: “The charges that D’Souza pleaded guilty to are an example of how accounting frauds can lead to large financial losses to banks. Financial fraudsters believe their schemes, whether complex or unsophisticated, will persist undetected. However, when the numbers don’t add up, the FBI will unravel the scheme and root out who is responsible.”
According to the allegations contained in the Information to which D’SOUZA pled guilty and statements made during D’SOUZA’s plea proceeding:
From in or about 2011 until in or about September 2014, Company-1, through D’SOUZA and others, fraudulently induced the Bank into lending Company-1 millions of dollars by repeatedly making false and misleading statements about Company-1’s financial condition. D’SOUZA falsely inflated Company-1’s sales and accounts receivable on “borrowing base certificates” and in financial statements that D’SOUZA provided to the Bank pursuant to loan agreements. D’SOUZA used those falsely inflated sales and accounts receivable to mislead the Bank about Company-1’s true financial performance, which enabled Company-1 to secure and draw down a $17 million revolving credit facility from the Bank. Company-1 ultimately defaulted on the loans issued by the Bank in September 2014. At that time, the outstanding balance of the loans was approximately $16.99 million.
Separately, in 2012, the City offered loans and other financial incentives to Company-2 in return for Company-2’s agreement to operate a furniture factory in the City and employ local residents. Among other things, D’SOUZA falsely inflated Company-2’s sales figures in financial statements provided to the City. The false financial statements misled the City about Company-2’s true financial performance and enabled Company-2 to secure and draw down more than $1 million in loans from the City. Company-2 ultimately defaulted on the loans issued by the City in September 2014. At that time, the outstanding balance of the loans was $1 million.
D’SOUZA, 50, of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. D’SOUZA is scheduled to be sentenced on July 22, 2016, before Judge Abrams.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward A. Imperatore is in charge of the prosecution.
New York, NY: GOPIO officers, chapter delegates and a selected group of GOPIO Life Members from the New York Tri-State region met India’s new Consul General in New York Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das and other Consuls on March 30th at the Indian Consulate and had a fruitful interactive session on community issues and how the Indian American community can effectively be involved in India’s development.
According to a press release issued by GOIPIO, Consul General Das welcomed the GOPIO delegation and said that GOPIO is an important organization to interact since GOPIO reaches out all sections of our community. Dr. Mohapatra explained on the current consular services provided from the Consulate and steps taken to improve and make it easier for the community.
Apart from Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das, other officials present from the Consulate at the meeting were Deputy Consul General Dr. Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, Consul Sandeep Kumar (Passport and Visa), Vice Consul Sandeep Grover (OCI) and Passport Officers Devvrat Chakravarthy and Suman Bala.
The meeting was organized by GOPIO’s Tristate New York Coordinator Lal Motwani and was attended by the newly elected International Coordinator for North America Dr. Rajeev Mehta and delegates from GOPIO-New York, GOPIO-Upper New York, GOPIO-Connecticut and GOPIO-Central Jersey and many Life Members who have served in various capacities in the past. Dr. Thomas Abraham, GOPIO Founder President and Executive Trustee of GOPIO Foundation brought some of the community issues and many avenues where the community and the Consulate could cooperate for mutual benefits. These included the following:
Increased cooperation with the Consulate and Indian Community (Consulate celebrations of national events and festivals, consulate representation at Indian community meetings, participation in Consulate’s lecture/seminar series, Meeting with Indian delegation, etc.); Utilizing community contacts with elected officials for promoting Indian’s causes; Reaching out next generation Indian Americans and involving them for India’s causes; Issuance of Visa and Passport in emergencies; Improving consular services and shortening delay in OCI card issuance; Improving services by Cox and Kings and BLS International; Emergency help for Indian citizens in time of distress, death, etc.; Reaching out and interacting with the PIO communities in the New York area (large Indo-Caribbean community); and Promoting India to general American public.
Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das reinforced the importance of the community reaching out the elected officials and interacting with the new generations of Indian Americans. Dr. Mohapatra told that the passport services from BLS International will be taken over Cox and Kings and he would make sure the transition is smooth. He also suggested the community to write to helpline@indiacgny.org for any visa, passport and OCI issues.
Giving an example, she said that there were unclaimed OCI documents in the Consulate. “With the help of newspapers we would like to reach out to those applicants who never turned up to pick up their documents”, she said, “Such documents can be stored at the Consulate for a limited period of time, after which they would be destroyed.”
Ambassador Ganguly Das said that her office was proud to ensure that most emergency visa applications were processed within 15 minutes provided paper work was completed as per application guidelines.
“The application process for passport and visa is going through a transitional phase as a new outsourcing company was selected to take over the responsibilities”, informed Dr. Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, Deputy Consul General of India in New York.
According to Dr Mohapatra, a new service was launched to expedite the process of new passports. He claimed that ‘Tatkal’ service was aimed at facilitating the completion of passports within two hours of submitting applications. “Any delay caused might be due to noncompliance of guidelines or lack of supporting documents needed to process the applications”, he added.
The Consul General spelled out a number of initiatives to strengthen public diplomacy efforts some of which were continuation of efforts initiated by the former Consul General Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay. She said that community outreach program initiated by her immediate predecessor has proved to be effective in connecting with the Indian American communities in far flung States, such as Ohio and Massachusetts. “We will soon organize outreach events in cities like Cincinnati and Boston.”
Ambassador Ganguly Das underscored the importance of increasing trade and commerce between India and the United States. “In order to strengthen these ties I plan to work with chambers and organizations dedicated to trade and commerce.”
For more information on GOPIO, contact Lal K. Motwani, GOPIO Coordinator for New York Tri-State Area. Tel: Tel: 516-581-3332, lmotwani@verizon.net
In his first reaction to the leaked ‘Panama Papers’ that revealed names of thousands of world leaders and celebrities who have stashed money in tax havens, President Barack Obama has said that global tax avoidance may be running into trillions of dollars worldwide. “There is no doubt that the problem of global tax avoidance, generally, is a huge problem,” Obama said adding the issue has been brought up in G7 and G20 meetings.
“There has been some progress made in coordinating between tax authorities of different countries so that we can make sure that we’re catching some of the most egregious examples,” he said. “But as I said before, one of the big problems that we have is that a lot of this stuff is not illegal. Unless the United States and other countries lead by example in closing some of these loopholes and provisions, then in many cases you can trace what’s taking place, but you can’t stop it. There is always going to be some illicit movement of funds around the world. But we shouldn’t make it easy. We shouldn’t make it legal to engage in transactions just to avoid taxes,” he asserted.
“That’s why I think it is important that the Treasury acted on something that’s different from what happened in Panama. The corporate inversions issue is a financial transaction that is brokered among major Fortune 500 companies to avoid paying taxes,” he said.
“But the basic principle is making sure that everybody is paying their fair share, and that they don’t just have a few people who are able to take advantage of tax provisions, that’s something that they really have to pay attention to.
“This is all net outflows of money that could be spent on the pressing needs here in the United States. The volume that you start seeing when you combine legal tax avoidance with illicit tax avoidance, or some of the activities that we’re seeing, this is not just billions of dollars. It’s not even just hundreds of billions of dollars. Estimates are this may be trillions of dollars worldwide, and it could make a big difference in terms of what we can do here,” Obama said.
Obama urged the Republican-controlled Congress to close legal loopholes so as to prevent American companies from evading taxes and shipping jobs overseas. “We should keep building an economy where everybody has a fair shot, and everybody plays by the same rules,” Obama said a day after the US Treasury Department issued new set of rules making it more difficult for US companies to save taxes by shipping jobs abroad.
Americans, he stressed, should be able to know that big corporations aren’t playing by a different set of rules. “In the news over the last couple of days, we’ve had another reminder in this big dump of data coming out of Panama that tax avoidance is a big, global problem. Its not unique to other countries because, frankly, there are folks here in America who are taking advantage of the same stuff. A lot of it is legal, but that’s exactly the problem,” Obama said.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached the congressionally mandated H-1B cap for fiscal year (FY) 2017. USCIS has also received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the U.S. advanced degree exemption, a press release issued by the USICS stated.
USCIS will use a computer-generated process, also known as the lottery, to randomly select the petitions needed to meet the caps of 65,000 visas for the general category and 20,000 for the advanced degree exemption.
USCIS will first randomly select petitions for the advanced degree exemption. All unselected advanced degree petitions will become part of the random selection process for the 65,000 general cap. The agency will reject and return filing fees for all unselected cap-subject petitions that are not duplicate filings.
Application for the highly sought after visa program began on April 1, for the fiscal year 2017 beginning October 1, this year. Before running the lottery, USCIS will complete initial intake for all filings received during the filing period, which ended April 7. Due to the high number of petitions, USCIS is not yet able to announce the date it will conduct the random selection process.
This is fourth consecutive year that the Congressional mandated cap has been reached in the first five days of the filing. Majority of these estimated 200,000 H-1B visa applications are “certainly” either by companies that have Indian owner like TCS or companies that have substantial operations or development centres in India like IBM, Stock said in response to a question.
President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Victor Nieblas Pradis said the “avalanche” of petitions for H-1B visas mean that USCIS will once again randomly determine which of those petitions will actually be considered for one of the 85,000 available visas.
USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap. Petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap, and who still retain their cap number, will also not be counted toward the congressionally mandated FY 2017 H-1B cap. USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions filed to: Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States; Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers; Allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and, Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.
U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering and computer programming. For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov
U.S.-India Technology Partnership: Using Scale and Speed to Bridge the Divide will be topic for a panel discussion in Menlo Park, California on April 25th, 2016, featuring Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog; John Chambers, Executive Chairman, Cisco Systems & USIBC Chairman; Shantanu Narayen, CEO, Adobe Systems; and Joseph M. DeSimone, CEO, Carbon3D.
This half-day summit in the Silicon Valley will explore the challenges and opportunities that businesses face while scaling up technologies in emerging markets and how the US-India business corridor is uniquely poised to build the digital future of the global economy. Against this backdrop, Amitabh Kant, the newly appointed CEO of National Institution of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog will present his plans on how technology and policy-making, the government and industry can coordinate efforts to ensure the success of programs such as Digital India, Start Up India, Skill India, Financial Inclusion (Jan Dhan Yojana) and Make in India.
The National Institution for Transforming India Aayog is a Government of India policy think-tank established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to replace the Planning Commission. The stated aim for NITI Aayog’s creation is to foster involvement and participation in the economic policy-making process by the State Governments of India. One of the important mandates of NITI Aayog is to bring cooperative competitive federalism. The Prime Minister is Ex-Officio Chairperson for NITI Aayog.
(WASHINGTON) — For Americans of nearly every race, gender, political persuasion and location, disdain for Donald Trump runs deep, saddling the Republican front-runner with unprecedented unpopularity as he tries to overcome recent campaign setbacks.
Seven in 10 people, including close to half of Republican voters, have an unfavorable view of Trump, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. It’s an opinion shared by majorities of men and women; young and old; conservatives, moderates and liberals; and whites, Hispanics and blacks — a devastatingly broad indictment of the billionaire businessman.
Even in the South, a region where Trump has won GOP primaries decisively, close to 70 percent view him unfavorably. And among whites without a college education, one of Trump’s most loyal voting blocs, 55 percent have a negative opinion.
Trump still leads the Republican field in delegates and has built a loyal following with a steady share of the Republican primary electorate. But the breadth of his unpopularity raises significant questions about how he could stitch together enough support in the general election to win the White House.
It also underscores the trouble he may still face in the Republican race, which appears headed to a contested convention where party insiders would have their say about who will represent the GOP in the fall campaign.
“He’s at risk of having the nomination denied to him because grass-roots party activists fear he’s so widely disliked that he can’t possible win,” said Ari Fleischer, a former adviser to President George W. Bush.
Beyond their generally negative perception of Trump, large majorities also said they would not describe him as civil, compassionate or likable. On nearly all of these measures, Trump fared worse than his remaining Democratic or Republican rivals.
Not that voters have all that much love for those rivals. But their negative perceptions don’t match the depth of the distaste for Trump. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is seeking to catch Trump in the Republican delegate count, is viewed unfavorably by 59 percent, while 55 percent have negative views of Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
Another problem for Trump is that his public perception seems to be getting worse. The number of Americans who view him unfavorably has risen more than 10 percentage points since mid-February, a two-month stretch that has included some of his biggest primary victories but also an array of stumbles that suggested difficulties with his campaign organization and a lack of policy depth.
A survey conducted by Gallup in January found Trump’s unfavorable rating, then at 60 percent in the their polling, was already at a record high level for any major party nominee in their organization’s polling since the 1990’s.
Clinton’s campaign believes Trump’s sky-high unfavorable ratings could offset some questions voters have about her own character, and perhaps even give her a chance to peel off some Republicans who can’t stomach a vote for the real estate mogul.
More than 60 percent of all registered voters and 31 percent of Republicans said they definitely would not vote for Trump in the general election. One group that is still with him includes those who describe themselves as both Republicans and supporters of the tea party movement. Sixty-eight percent of them have a favorable view.
New York, NY: United States has a much bigger global agenda with India in contrast to Pakistan, and Washington has moved far beyond looking at its relations with the South Asian neighbors as linked, according to US Defence Secretary Ash Carter.
“We have much more to do with India today than has to do with Pakistan.” Carter said Friday. “There’s important business with respect to Pakistan, but we have much more – a whole global agenda with India, an agenda that covers all kinds of issues.” He was answering a question from the audience during a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations about how the growing US ties with India will impact Washington’s relations with Islamabad.
In his address on the eve of leaving on a visit to India, Carter said US relations with India was “destined to be one of the most significant partnerships of the 21st century.” He said there would be “exciting new projects” and a “strategic handshake” with India encompassing military cooperation and defence co-production.
“The days are gone when we only deal with India as the other side of the Pakistan coin, or Pakistan as the other side of the India coin,” he said. “I know that there are those in India and Pakistan who are still glued to that dyad way of thinking. But the United States put that behind us some time ago.” While describing Pakistan as “an important security partner,” he said, “We have a big set of issues having to do with the border with Afghanistan, where we continue to operate; with terrorism, both on the territory of Pakistan and also obviously cross-border into Afghanistan, including affecting US service members there.” He added, “I’m sure I’ll be asked about it in India. It’s long past – we’re long past the point in US policymaking where we look at the India-Pakistan dyad as the whole story for either one of them,” he said.
America is strongest when we recognize our many traditions, says First Lady Michelle Obama
WASHINGTON: “We think America is strongest when we recognize our many traditions, when we celebrate our diversity, and when we lift each other up,” First Lady Michelle Obama said during Nowruz celebrations at the White House on April 6th. “And in times like these, when we think all — that’s more important than ever before, right now and today with what’s going on. Right now, when we’re hearing so much disturbing and hateful rhetoric, it is so important to remember that our diversity has been -– and will always be -– our greatest source of strength and pride here in the United States,” Obama said.
Criticising the “disturbing and hateful” poll rhetoric, First Lady Michelle Obama has asserted that America is a “nation of immigrants” and diversity will always be its greatest strength. “In times like these, when we think all– that’s more important than ever before, right now and today with what’s going on. Right now, when we’re hearing so much disturbing and hateful rhetoric, it is so important to remember that our diversity has been — and will always be — our greatest source of strength and pride here in the United States,” she said. “We are a nation of immigrants. And we should cherish the talent and energy and the beautiful traditions and cultures that come with that heritage, not just today but every day,” she said.
In her remarks, she underscored the number of festivals of various cultures now White House has been celebrating. “I’m proud that here at the White House, we host special events to mark the holidays but we celebrate St Patrick’s Day, Diwali, Cinco de Mayo. And with your help, today, we’re celebrating Nowruz, which is one of our newest White House traditions,” Michelle said.
Nowruz, she said, is a time to visit loved ones. It’s a time to reflect on the past year, and to renew hopes for the New Year to come. Nowruz is a traditional Iranian festival of spring and considered as the beginning of the New Year among Iranians.
President Obama’s public approval rating has been around 44%, down significantly from his starting approval of 62%. To be fair, Obama still has about seven months left in office, so his approval rating is far from final. But few presidents leave the White House more popular than when they entered. So how does Obama stack up to the modern presidents when it comes to popularity?
Using data from Real Clear Politics and the Roper Center, InsideGov found the average approval ratings for the modern U.S. presidents (FDR onward). Barack Obama stands at #10, with his average Approval Rating hovering around 47.46%. President Obama assumed office under challenging circumstances. The U.S. had troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the economy was in a full-on recession. Obama’s approval ratings recovered slightly after his re-election, but fell to a new low following the 2013 government shutdown. His highest approval rating was 63%, in Feb. 2009, and his lowest approval rating was 39%, in Nov. 2013.
John F. Kennedy has been ranked as #1 with an average Approval Rating of 70.53%. Kennedy served in office for 2.8 years. His approval rating never fell below 55% during that time. Although he assumed office during a period of racial unrest and international instability, the young president from Massachusetts used his charisma and idealism to win over the public.
Following Kennedy is Dwight D. Eisenhower at #2 with an average Approval Rating of 64.9%. Eisenhower’s approval ratings remained fairly strong during his first term, never dipping below 50%. Although his popularity took a hit during his second term, Eisenhower still left office with the majority of Americans supporting him.
Franklin D. Roosevelt came a close #3 with his average Approval Ratings at 64.49%. Approval ratings were only polled for the last seven years of Roosevelt’s presidency. During this time, FDR’s approval rating never fell below 50%, as he navigated the end of the Great Depression and World War II.
George H. W. Bush comes as 4th most popular president with his average Approval Ratings hovering around 60.1%. Bush gained popularity for his focus on foreign policy. The American public largely supported the end of the Cold War and Bush’s approval ratings spiked to a new high following the Persian Gulf War. By the end of his presidency, Bush struggled to deal with a slow economy and lost re-election to Bill Clinton.
Harry Truman is the least popular of all the recent Presidents in history ranking at #13, and having an average Approval Rating of 42.6%. Truman’s popularity mostly fell due to the Korean War and high inflation. Interestingly, history has been kinder to Truman, with polls consistently ranking him as one of the 10 best presidents.
Gerald Ford stands at #12 with his ratings of 45.78%. Public support for Ford dissipated when he pardoned Richard Nixon a month into his presidency. Although he left office with a climbing approval rate, Ford was still unable to win re-election.
Jimmy Carter with his average Approval Rating of 45.78% comes at #11. Remarkably, Jimmy Carter ties with Ford, with an average approval rating of 45.78%. Carter entered the White House on a wave of popularity, promising to steer Washington away from the scandal-filled presidencies of Ford and Nixon. However, Carter was soon overwhelmed by high inflation, an energy crisis, war in Afghanistan and a hostage situation in Iran.
Obama’s predecessor George W. Bush is slightly above him at #9 with his average Approval Rating of 47.48%. Bush’s approval rating jumped after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but quickly plummeted in the following months. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the onset of the Great Recession, prevented Bush’s popularity from rising again.
Richard Nixon stands at #8 with his average Approval Rating being 49.89%. Nixon’s approval ratings were fairly high for the majority of his presidency. That changed after the Watergate Scandal broke. Nixon currently has the lowest exit approval rating of any U.S. president at 24%.
Ronald Reagan is #7 with his average Approval Rating of 52.84%. Although Reagan ranks as the seventh most popular president in terms of approval ratings, his presidency has been more favorably viewed in history. In fact, in a 2013 Gallup poll, Reagan scored as the second best modern U.S. president, only behind JFK. Reagan’s lowest approval rating occurred in the midst of an economic recession in the early 80s.
Lyndon B. Johnson is ranked at #6, with an average Approval Rating of 54.75%. Following JFK’s assassination, Johnson was abruptly thrust into the presidency. Johnson’s popularity remained above 50% during his first two years in the White House, but then declined more sharply with the beginning of the Vietnam War and civil unrest in the U.S.
Bill Clinton is #5 with his average Approval Rating of 54.8%. Unlike most presidents, Clinton’s approval ratings actually increased over his presidency. Although his popularity took a hit after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke in 1998, Clinton still left office with a higher approval rating than when he started.
India is in talks with the United States to purchase 40 Predator surveillance drones. “We are aware of Predator interest from the Indian Navy. However, it is a government-to-government discussion,” Vivek Lall, chief executive of U.S. and International Strategic Development at San Diego-based General Atomics, told the media.
The push for the drones comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter heads to India this weekend for talks to cement military collaboration in the final months of the Obama administration. Indian military officials said they expected the request for the armed aircraft to figure in Carter’s talks with his Indian counterpart, Manohar Parrikar.
As defence ties deepen with the United States, which sees India as a counterweight to China in the region, New Delhi has asked Washington for the Predator series of unmanned planes built by privately-held General Atomics, military officials said.
According to reports, India is trying to equip the military with more unmanned technologies to gather intelligence as well as boost its firepower along the vast land borders with Pakistan and China. It also wants a closer eye on the Indian Ocean. New Delhi has already acquired surveillance drones from Israel to monitor the mountains of Kashmir, a region disputed by the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals and the cause of two of their three wars.
The U.S. government late last year cleared General Atomics’ proposal to market the unarmed Predator XP in India. It was not clear when the delivery of the drones would take place. The navy wants them for surveillance in the Indian Ocean, where the pilotless aircraft can remain airborne for 35 hours at a stretch, at a time when the Chinese navy is expanding ship and submarine patrols in the region.
India’s air force has also asked Washington about acquiring around 100 armed Predator C Avenger aircraft, which the United States has used to carry out strikes against Islamist militants in Pakistan’s northwest and neighbouring Afghanistan. But it would need clearance from the Missile Technology Control Regime group of 34 nations as well as approval from U.S. Congress before any transfer of lethal Predators could happen, officials said.
Washington wants India to sign a set of agreements including on the use of each other’s military bases that would help them operate together. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has signalled its willingness to move forward with the proposed pacts after the previous administration did not act for more than a decade.
In a landmark decision, the U.S. Army granted religious accommodation to US Army Captain Simratpal Singh, a Sikh American soldier, allowing him to serve on active duty with his articles of faith intact. Singh, who has served in the U.S. Armed Forces since 2010, after graduating from West Point – had served for five years without his turban and beard. The Bronze Star recipient filed for religious accommodation in October 2015 after attending a Baisakhi celebration at the Pentagon, where he met turbaned and bearded soldiers. Singh said he felt pressurized by military recruiters when joining the Army to remove his articles of faith.
Until 1981, Sikhs were allowed to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces with turbans and beards, but a policy change disallowed visible articles of faith. The Defense Department has granted accommodation over the past six years to Sikh American soldiers on a case-by-case basis. Only three have been granted accommodation: Army Corporal Simran Preet Lamba, Army Major Tejdeep Rattan, and Army Major Kamaljeet Kalsi.
Simratpal Singh – who serves as battalion operations staff at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia – is the first Sikh soldier to be granted religious accommodation while on active duty. Lamba, Rattan and Kalsi were granted accommodation before they began to serve.
Simratpal Singh was initially granted temporary accommodation in December 2015, which was extended until the end of March. However, on Feb. 26, Singh received a memo from Debra S. Wada, Assistant Army Secretary, saying that he had to report for helmet testing on Mar. 1, and then would have to undergo three days of safety mask fitting.
The Sikh Coalition filed a lawsuit on behalf of Singh, saying he was being subjected to discriminatory testing. The suit stated that Wada required the testing to determine whether Singh’s helmet would be able to withstand “ballistic and blunt forces” and the mask’s ability “to provide protection from toxic chemical and biological agents.”
“No other soldiers in the Army have been treated in this manner or subjected to similar tests as a condition for remaining in the Army,” stated the lawsuit, adding: “This discriminatory treatment is unfounded.”
U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell issued a ruling Mar. 3 summating that the extra testing was costly and unnecessary in determining whether Singh was suited to serve in the Army. “Thousands of other soldiers are permitted to wear long hair and beards for medical or other reasons, without being subjected to such specialized and costly expert testing of their helmets and gas masks,” wrote Howell. “Singling out the plaintiff for specialized testing due only to his Sikh articles of faith is, in this context, unfair and discriminatory,” she wrote.
In her Mar. 31 letter to Singh, Wada wrote that the Army captain would be permitted to wear a turban and beard while performing non-hazardous duties, as long as it fits under an Army combat helmet. If Singh must perform hazardous duty, his accommodation will require additional evaluation by his chain of command.
The accommodation will be re-evaluated by Wada after a year. In a press statement, Singh said he had finally realized his “dream of becoming spiritually whole.”
“My military service continues to fulfill a lifelong dream,” said Captain Singh. “My faith, like many of the soldiers I work with, is an integral part of who I am. I am thankful that I no longer have to make the choice between faith and service to our nation.”
In an earlier story, Gurjot Kaur, senior staff attorney with the Sikh Coalition, told India-West that the organization is ultimately hoping for a full-scale policy change, without the need to request religious accommodation on a case-by-case basis.
In a briefing at the Harvard Institute of Politics, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he supported Sikh Americans in the Armed Forces being allowed to serve with their turbans and beards. He noted that the new Canadian Minister of National Defense – Harjit Sajjan – wears a turban and beard and worked with the Defense Department there to figure out how to add his headwear under a helmet.
“Mission effectiveness depends on us having access to the largest pool of Americans,” said Carter, noting that service was voluntary. “Everyone who can meet our high standards…we need them and must avail of their talent,” he said.
President Barack Obama on Friday last week counselled India and Pakistan not to pursue aggressive military doctrines and nuclear arsenals as he wrapped up the fourth Nuclear Security Summit, his signature international effort to curtail the spread of nuclear weapons and source material.
During a press conference at the end of the summit that attracted leaders from all major powers, Obama sought to “see progress in Pakistan and India, that subcontinent, making sure that as they develop military doctrines, that they are not continually moving in the wrong direction.” He also expressed concern about “nuclear arsenals” expanding in some countries, “especially those with small tactical nuclear weapons that could be at greater risk of theft.”
The reference clearly was to Pakistan’s expanding nuclear arsenal with the addition of mini-nukes, but the US President also drew India into the picture with his reference to military doctrines, seen in some quarters as an allusion to New Delhi’s much-discussed but never implemented Cold Start Doctrine, a military manoeuvre that purportedly seeks to launch punitive armored strikes deep into Pakistan in a quick reaction response to egregious acts of terrorism by Pakistan inside India.
New Delhi has repeatedly said it has not implemented the Cold Start doctrine, and that Pakistan has historically been the aggressor with a military doctrine of terrorism and “death by thousand cuts” aimed at changing the status quo between the two countries. Still, there was a degree of surprise in Indian quarters that the US President’s lecture came despite the restraint exercised by the Modi government in what has been an extension of the UPA government’s Pakistan policy.
The Cold Start doctrine, a largely theoretical construct that has been debated in Indian strategic circles but not implemented, has rattled Pakistan to such an extent that it has developed and deployed battlefield nuclear weapons or tactical mini-nukes for use against an invading armored corps, even if it means nuking its own territory.
President Obama and other leaders have expressed fears that these mini-nukes dispersed to field commanders could be easy picking for terrorist groups that all too frequently infiltrate Pakistani military establishments, as evident in several attacks on military cantonments and garrisons. The concern was widely discussed by world leaders and their aides at the summit, both in the main session and on the margins.
Fearing a public dressing down, the Pakistani leadership bailed out from attending the Nuclear Security Summit, citing the Lahore terrorist attack as an excuse, thus forcing Obama to publicly voice the international concern.
Pakistan has repeatedly maintained that its nuclear weapons are safe and well-protected, but the assertion carries little credibility in the international community that has seen its blueprints and technology in the hands of countries such as Libya and Iran, and witnessed its nuclear scientists supping with al-Qaida leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Athens, Ga. – Divided political parties rarely win presidential elections, according to a study by political science researchers at the University of Georgia and their co-authors. If the same holds true this year, the Republican Party could be in trouble this presidential general election.
The study, which examined national party division in past presidential elections, found that both national party division and divisive state primaries have significant influence on general election outcomes.
In this election cycle, the nominee of a divided Republican Party could lose more than 3 percent of the general election vote, compared to what he would have gained if the party were more united.
“History shows that when one party is divided and the other party is united, the divided party almost always loses the presidential election,” said Paul-Henri Gurian, an associate professor of political science at UGA. “Consider, for example, the elections from 1964 through 1984; in each case the divided party lost.” The study measures party division during the primaries and indicates how much the more divided party loses in the general election.
The study found that divisive state primaries can lead to a 1 to 2 percent decrease in general elections votes in that state. For example, Hillary Clinton received 71 percent of the Democratic vote in the Georgia primary, while Donald Trump received 39 percent of the Republican vote. According to the historical model, a Republican-nominated Trump would lose almost 1 percent of the Georgia vote in the general election because of the divided state primary.
National party division has an even greater and more widespread impact on the national results, often leading to decreases of more than 3 percent nationwide.
Looking again at the current presidential election cycle, Trump had received 39.5 percent of the total national Republican primary vote as of March 16, while Clinton had received 58.6 percent of the Democratic vote. If these proportions hold for the remainder of the nomination campaign (and if these two candidates win the nominations), then Trump would lose 4.5 percent of the vote in the general election, compared to what he would have received if the national Republican Party was not divided.
“In close elections, such as 2000, 2004 and 2012, 4-5 percent could change the outcome in terms of which party wins the presidency,” Gurian said.
The results of this study provide political analysts with a way to anticipate the impact of each primary and, more importantly, the impact of the total national primary vote on the general election results. Subtracting the percent of the Republican nominee’s total popular vote from that of the Democratic nominee and multiplying that by 0.237 indicates how much the Republican nominee is likely to lose in the November election, compared to what would otherwise be expected. The 4.5 percent figure calculated through March 16 can be updated as additional states hold their primaries. (The same can be done for each individual state primary by multiplying by 0.026.) The study was conducted by Paul-Henri Gurian and Audrey Haynes, together with Nathan Burroughs, Lonna Atkeson and Damon Cann.
Not long ago, a group of Indian-Americans had formed a political action committee to campaign for Donald Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner and had assured that they would everything possible to help him win the party nomination and the elections in November this year.
They had formed a group called, ‘Indian-Americans for Trump 2016’, which was registered as a political action committee (PAC) on January 21st with the federal election commission, with the aim of garnering support of Indian-Americans to have Trump become the next US President. Dr. Sudhir Parikh, CEO of Pariskh Media, A.D. Amar, a business professor with Seton Hall University in New Jersey and a New York-based Attorney Anand Ahuja had initiated the group.
Anand Ahuja, Attorney and Counselor at Law and Vice President for Indian Americans for Trump 2016, had said that there is a “wrong media created perception that Trump is against Muslims and minorities. And as far as being against H1B visas – either you can increase H1B visas or you can say invest in India – you cannot have it both ways.”
However, Dr. Sudhir Parikh has released a short statement through news agencies, withdrawing his support for Trump and disassociate himself from the PAC: “I allowed myself to be identified with that group because some members of the group are friends of mine. I wish to clarify that I no longer belong to the group and I do not support the candidacy of Mr. Donald Trump.
“For over three decades I have supported both Democrat and Republican candidates based on their individual merits and their commitment to the interests of the Indian-American community and US-India relations. I remain committed to this course,” Parikh added.
The front runner in the Republican Primaries has been criticized, among others by leading Indian American political leaders. Former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, had described Trump as a “madman”. Jindal had criticized his Republican Party colleague as a “non-serious, unstable, substance-free narcissist.” Other phrases Jindal had used to describe are: “egomaniac,” a “carnival act,” “shallow,” “insecure,” “weak” and of course, a “madman.” South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is a rising star in the Republican Party had described Trump’s character and qualities as “everything a governor doesn’t want in a president.”
US President Barack Obama said that the real estate tycoon is exploiting people’s fear amid a stagnant and rapidly changing economy. “I think somebody like Mr Trump is taking advantage of that. That’s what he’s exploiting during the course of his campaign,” Obama told National Public Radio (NPR) in an interview. “When one combines the demographic change with all the economic stresses that people have been going through because of the financial crisis, because of technology, because of globalization, it means that there is going to be potential anger, frustration and fear,” said the president.
Traditionally Indian Americans have voted for the Democratic Party. In 2008, nearly 90 per cent of Indian Americans voted for President Barack Obama. According to Dr. Parikh, he feels that Indian Americans have far more in common with the Republicans than the Democrats as “Our family values are the same as what the Republican Party is talking about, against abortion and same sex relationships. We are the most affluent community in America, with higher per capita income than even the Jews… it makes sense to vote Republican.”
Winning Asian American votes is very critical to winning the presidency. Although, they are not as larger as the Hispanics or the Blacks, Asian/Indian Americans are an influential group in the national and statewide elections. No one can win the presidency with the White votes alone. In 1980, Ronald Reagan won 56 percent of white voters and won a landslide victory of 44 states. In 2012, Mitt Romney won 59 percent of whites and lost with 24 states. According to reports, in the 2012 presidential election, Barack Obama won 73 percent of the Asian American vote. The Democratic presidential vote share among Asian Americans has steadily increased from 36 percent in 1992, to 64 percent in the 2008 election to 73 percent in 2012.
Both the parties have been working hard to win the Asian American votes, except for that Trump has been critical of the Muslims, has spoken against H-1B Visa, which has helped mostly Asians to immigrate to this country. Trump said: “They are taking our jobs. China is taking our jobs. Japan is taking our jobs. India is taking our jobs. It is not going to happen anymore, folks!”
Sacramento, CA: Harmeet Dhillon, vice chair of the California Republican Party, is currently running unopposed to represent the state as committeewoman for the Republican National Committee. The RNC allots each state a chairman to the National Committee, along with one committee man and one committee woman. The state’s delegates will vote for the posts April 30, during the upcoming California Republican Party convention in Burlingame, Calif.
Linda Ackerman, who has held the post for eight years, earlier this month said she would not run again this year. Her term will end after the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, which begins July 18.
Indian American attorney Dhillon’s term as vice chair of the state party ends this year. She told India-West it was “a natural progression” for her to take on a role at the national level. The role entails determining the party’s policy for the next four years and deciding the party’s presidential candidate during the 2020 election cycle.
Dhillon has previously served as the GOP’s chairman in San Francisco County and has served as vice chair of the state party since 2013, the first Indian American to serve in that role. In a Feb. 22 statement announcing her candidacy, Dhillon said she has worked tirelessly to build a strong Republican Party in the state.
“I’ve fought hard for the party and for the future of California in just about every way a volunteer can – and as I have been doing since I was a teenager in the conservative movement,” she said.
“It’s time that California had a strong advocate in the RNC, to promote California’s interests at the national party level. For too long, California has been neglected by our national party,” said Dhillon.
Dhillon has won the endorsement of almost all members of the California State Senate and Assembly Republican Caucuses. She has also won the endorsement of the California Republican Party’s Board of Directors and a majority of county chairmen. She has assembled a team of volunteers who plan over the next six weeks to speak to every delegate in the state to pledge their support. Dhillon said she hopes for a unanimous vote.
The 2016 presidential election cycle poses some interesting challenges for the Republican Party, Dhillon told India-West, noting that billionaire contender Donald Trump has brought more interest and a greater number of people to the polls.
“Trump as the leading candidate is not in keeping with the image of our party. There is a lot of hand-wringing going on, because he’s ‘not one of us,’” said Dhillon. “But a lot of Republicans equally feel that the party has not done its job” in keeping the Obama administration in check, she said.
The veteran politician — who has run unsuccessfully for the state Assembly and Senate — said obliquely that she differs from Trump’s ideology, leaning more towards the late Jack Kemp and Ronald Reagan’s style of conservative policy. “I will support the nominee of the party,” she added, noting that she is not supporting anyone at this juncture.
California will more than likely determine the party’s nominee, said Dhillon, noting there was no chance that Republican contenders Texas Senator Ted Cruz or Ohio Governor John Kasich would drop out of the race before the national convention. Kasich has stated his support for a brokered convention, even if one candidate does have the necessary number of delegates to get the party’s nomination.
If Trump continues to amass delegates at his current rate, no one will have the required number of delegates — 1,237 — to win the nomination outright. After the Mar. 15 primaries in Illinois, Ohio, Florida, Missouri and North Carolina, Trump had amassed 673 delegates, while Cruz had 411 and Kasich 143.
A total of 885 delegates still remain un-allotted. Trump would have to win 564 more delegates to get the party’s nomination outright, a feat which Dhillon predicts is mathematically impossible.
Washington, DC: Attorney Jay Chaudhuri won the March 15 Democratic primary election for the 16th district state Senate seat in North Carolina to advance to the general election Nov. 8, beating Ellis Hankins with a two-third margin. Chaudhuri received 19,844 votes, or 63.14 percent, while Hankins got 11,584 votes, or 36.86 percent.
Chaudhuri, 46, a lawyer with ties to state government, will face the sole Republican candidate, Eric Weaver, in November, in a district that historically elects Democrats. “I’m honored that the voters have chosen me to be the Democratic nominee for the election in November,” Chaudhuri said. “We’re going to fight hard to continue Josh Stein’s tradition of being a champion for progressive values, and I look forward to bringing everyone together to work toward providing a world-class education for all our students and building an economy that works for all North Carolinians.”
The Senate seat for the district, which encompasses much of western Raleigh and Cary, has been vacant since Sen. Josh Stein decided to run for attorney general. Chaudhuri resigned as general counsel to North Carolina Treasurer Janet Cowell May 1, 2015, and later announced his candidacy for the state Senate June 2, 2015.
The Indian American candidate said that education is the overriding issue in his campaign. The Republican-dominated General Assembly in North Carolina, he charged, has “not made its focus on investing in public education. Teachers are leaving (North Carolina) for other states,” he had told India-West, adding that he views public education funding as “investing dollars in economic development.”
Born in Chattanooga, Tenn., and a resident of Cameron Village in Raleigh, with his wife, Sejal Mehta, a former New York prosecutor, and their two children, Chaudhuri has an extensive background in state government.
In addition to serving as general counsel and a policy adviser to Cowell, he was also Cooper’s special counsel and legislative counsel when Cooper was state Senate Majority Leader. Before that, Chaudhuri clerked for now Chief Judge Linda McGee of the North Carolina Court of Appeals and was Jacob K. Javits Fellow for former U.S. Sen. Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin.
Chaudhuri’s parents, Debi and Mithu Chaudhuri, left India 50 years ago and settled in Fayetteville, N.C., where his father worked at the Veteran Administration Hospital.
Chaudhuri graduated from Davidson College in Charlotte, N.C., the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs in New York and the North Carolina Central University School of Law.
Chaudhuri said in a press release last June that, while serving as general counsel to Cowell, he helped recover more than $100 million for state pension and unclaimed property funds and led efforts to establish the first ever Innovation Fund, a $230 million fund to support and invest in businesses with significant operations in North Carolina.
The Democratic primary for Stein’s seat was one of the more expensive legislative races with both candidates raising six figures. The race heated up when Chaudhuri sent campaign mailers publicizing some of Hankins’ donations to Republicans in the 1990s. Hankins, 62, former executive director of the N.C. League of Municipalities, responded with a “voter alert” confirming that he made the donations at the request of a former employee to improve relationships with Republicans. He criticized his opponent, saying they had a gentleman’s agreement to run a clean campaign.
Washington, DC: Niraj Antani, R-Ohio, fighting to retain his Ohio State Assembly seat, won the GOP primary after running unopposed on March 15. Antani, who recently was named the second most influential Republican under the age of 30, announced he was running for re-election in December. “I think I’ve been able to be effective for my community,” the Indian American legislator told the media in the January report. “The legislature has been able to cut taxes, prevent overall increased spending and increase education spending.”
A graduate of Ohio State University, receiving a bachelor’s in political science, as well as a juris doctorate degree from the University of Dayton School of Law, Antani was previously the communications director for the Ohio State University College Republicans during the 2012 presidential election, as well as the chair for the Young Americans for Romney in Ohio.
Antani was named to Forbes Magazine’s list of the top “30 Under 30” people in the United States for Law and Politics in 2015. In addition, he was named to the “Top 30 Conservatives Under Age 30 in the United States” list by Red Alert Politics. And in 2013, the Montgomery County Republican Party named him the “Republican Man of the Year.”
The young GOP candidate will be campaigning against Patrick Merris, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. “I was grateful that I was unopposed in the Republican primary and was glad to have received nearly 15,000 votes in the primary,” Antani was quoted to have said. “I look forward to the campaign in the fall, so I can continue my work to expand the American Dream to all those who work for it.”
He represents the 42nd District, which covers most of southern Montgomery County. At age 24, he is the youngest currently serving member of the House. In addition, he is the second Indian-American state elected official in Ohio history, and the first Indian-American Republican. During the Romney campaign in 2012, Antani worked for the Ohio State Director & Senior Adviser to the campaign. In 2010, he worked for U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in Washington, DC. In Ohio, Antani worked for then State Representative – now State Senator – Peggy Lehner in 2009, as well as U.S. Congressman Mike Turner in his Dayton office in 2007.
A strong conservative, Antani is a member of the NRA and volunteers for Dayton Right to Life. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Miamisburg, serves on the executive board of the non-profit Dayton International Festival, Inc., and he chairs the Ohio Republican Party Asian Pacific American Advisory Council. Antani has appeared on Fox News, PBS NewsHour with Judy Woodruff, C-SPAN, CNBC, and Chuck Todd’s radio show. In addition, he has appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, and Newsmax.
Antani said a lot of people have criticized him for his age, but he sees it as an advantage. “I believe our generation should have a voice. The legislature in Columbus should look like who they serve, they should not all just be one age demographic,” he said. “A lot of people who told me to wait to run, they told me I was too young, too inexperienced. I did not believe that. Candidates should be chosen on their merit, on who is going to be the best candidate.”
Washington, DC: Raja Krishnamoorthi , who won the Democratic Party primary on March 15, 2016 is all set to join the 11th Congress in the Nation’s Capital from the 8th Congressional District in the state of Illinois, that includes the Chicago suburbs of Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg and Palatine.
Krishnamoorthi won the Democratic primary, defeating his two opponents, Michael Noland and Deborah Bullwinkel. Krishnamoorthi believes he has a very good chance to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, and is now focused on winning the general election in November. “So far, the dynamic has been favorable, but we can’t take anything for granted,” Krishnamoorthi said. “We have to make sure we get our message out.”
Krishnamoorthi is currently president of Sivananthan Labs, where he works on leading research teams developing semiconductor technologies, improved military technologies, solar cells and biosensors to detect weapons of mass destruction. He was formerly the Illinois Deputy Treasurer and served as the policy director for Barack Obama’s successful U.S. Senate campaign in 2004.
Raja Krishnamoorth
Krishnamoorthi noted that he has received endorsements from many politicians, including Democratic Representatives Jared Polis ’96 of Colorado and Derek Kilmer ’96 of Washington, local community leaders and advocacy groups in Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Sunil Bhave, a member of the District 59 School Board, explained that Krishnamoorthi is a very genuine person who is able to get along with people who have different opinions, which is a very rare quality that is needed in Congress. “Within a minute of talking to him, you just want to shake his hand and give him a hug,” Bhave said. “He listens to what people have to say.”
Born in New Delhi, India, Krishnamoorthi moved to the United States when he was three-months-old so that his father could complete a graduate degree in industrial engineering. He grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., and moved to Peoria, Ill., where his father was a faculty member at Bradley University. There, he graduated from Richwoods High School.
He explained that he decided to apply to the University because of the strong engineering school, which was where he intended to major. He also said that the liberal arts component and the presence of the Wilson School was key, because it would enable him to take humanities and science classes at the same time. “Princeton’s structure accommodated all of those interests at the same time,” he said. “I could not find that anywhere else.”
Krishnamoorthi graduated summa cum laude from the University. Krishnamoorthi received a degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and a certificate from the Wilson School. His independent project dealt with natural gas powered engines and his senior thesis for the Wilson School dealt with foreign directed investment in India, due to his interest in economic development.
He explained that he transferred from Electrical Engineering to Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering because of his interest in the large number of practical applications, such as combustion engines and solar cells. “I was able to take courses where the professors and the teaching assistants were available to mentor and shepherd me through some very difficult coursework,” Krishnamoorthi added. “They allowed me to excel.”
After graduating, Krishnamoorthi spent two years as a strategy consultant and dealt with how a business should grow, whether through increasing revenue or cutting costs. He had always wanted to go to law school because of his interest in government and public policy. “There’s nothing like law school that prepares you for that,” Krishnamoorthi said. “You really learn about the bones of our legal system and the Constitution, and how the federal government operates.”
He then graduated from Harvard Law School in 2000, clerked for Judge Joan Gottschall at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for a year. He assisted Judge Gottschall in deciding cases, and dealt with procedural motions arising in the cases. “It’s a real workout in terms of researching and writing and learning to express yourself persuasively,” he said.
Krishnamoorthi then joined law firm Kirkland and Ellis in Chicago, Ill., as an attorney. He dealt with many different types of law, including contract law, securities law, white-collar criminal prosecutions and bankruptcy litigation. In addition, he did some pro-bono work and was particularly proud of helping a man who had been persecuted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Krishnamoorthi was then appointed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to be the Special Attorney General with the Public Integrity Unit. He took this position after a former colleague at Kirkland and Ellis became the head of the Public Integrity Unit and asked Krishnamoorthi to come and join him.
Krishnamoorthi’s first foray into politics occurred in 1999, when he worked on Barack Obama’s Democratic primary campaign for the 1st Congressional District of Illinois. Obama lost, but asked Krishnamoorthi to become policy director for his Senate campaign in 2004. As a policy director, he educated Obama on various issues and formulated policy that would set him apart from his competitors. He also helped Obama prepare for debates.
In 2007, Krishnamoorthi left Kirkland and Ellis to become the Deputy Treasurer of Illinois. He was appointed by the Treasurer, who was formerly the banker of Obama’s 2004 Senate campaign. Krishnamoorthi focused on writing the policies aimed at promoting economic development, and was impressed by the amount of money managed by the state.
His first foray into elected office came in 2010, when Krishnamoorthi sought the Democratic nomination for Illinois State Comptroller, who maintains the state’s accounts and authorizes checks and payments. He noted that he possessed a unique set of skills that would help him in this position.
“One the one hand, I was an attorney who had investigated ethics abuses,” he said. “On the other hand, I had some financial training as the Deputy Treasurer.” Krishnamoorthi lost to David Miller in the Democratic primary by just over a percentage point. He said that he was able to meet great people during his bid, which encouraged him to try again for elected office. From his first run, he learned that he needed to raise more money to get his message across.
In 2010, Krishnamoorthi joined Sivananthan Laboratories as the president after meeting Dr. Sivalingam Sivananthan, the founder of Sivananthan Labs, when Krishnamoorthi was running for Comptroller.
In 2011, Krishnamoorthi decided to run for the House of Representatives in the 8th District of Illinois. He noted that he jumped into the race because he wanted to defeat then Rep. Joe Walsh, a Tea Party Republican. “He was then the Donald Trump of the U.S. Congress,” Krishnamoorthi said. “He was a horrible guy who played on people’s fears and tried to demagogue on the issues.”
Krishnamoorthi said that his second attempt at elected office was a positive experience because the discussions he had with his opponents were civil and ideas-focused. However, he lost the Democratic nomination to Tammy Duckworth, who went on to become the Representative for the 8th District. Krishnamoorthi then became an advisor to Rep. Duckworth. Last year, Rep. Duckworth announced that she would step down from the House of Representatives to run for the U.S. Senate. Krishnamoorthi subsequently declared his candidacy for the 8th District in 2015, and won the Mar. 15 Democratic primary.
“South Asians turned out in higher numbers than normal this time,” Krishnamoorthi said, hoping that would be the “new normal” in the future. During an event organized by the South Asian community, Raja Krishnamoorthi in his stirring eloquence spelled out his vision –when elected – to usher a new day in the United States Congress with pressing legislative agenda that seeks to strengthen working families, making college affordable, bolstering small businesses, reforming immigration system, improving America’s infrastructure. More importantly Raja Krishnamoorthi assured that he would passionately pursue critical agenda for Americans in bringing about economic equality, protecting Social Security, Medicare and fiercely advocating policies to help working families and raising minimum wage.
Keerthi Kumar Ravoori, Event Convener in his welcome remarks said that we as Indian Americans stand on the precipice of a shining hope and brighter promise with Raja Krishnamoorthi nearing to enter the portals of the U.S. Congress with comprehensive legislative goals. Keerthi Ravoori characterized Raja Krishnamoorthi as a ‘legislative genius’ who would passionately pursue meaningful legislative agenda by hitting the ground running when elected.
Dr. Vijay Prabhakar, Event Co-Chair in his remarks vociferously emphasized that the candidacy of Raja Krishnamoorthi represents a chance of a life time for the current and the future generations. He stridently challenged every Asian American to rise up and stand shoulder to shoulder to help Raja cross the finish line victoriously so that all Americans can see this eminent political personality as a shining inspiration for the entire nation.
His campaign has mainly revolved around keeping people in the middle class and strengthening the middle class and he has advocated for a set of policies to achieve this. Krishnamoorthi wants to raise the minimum wage, pass paid maternity leave, reduce student debt burdens and focus on building a clean-energy economy.
Krishnamoorthi noted that many of his policies have bipartisan support, and he wants to work to find common ground. He explained that there are many Tea Party Congressmen who support expanding solar energy. “Some folks believe that solar energy has become a liberty and independence issue in the Southwest and Florida, because they can cut the cord with their utilities,” he said. “It has the promise of combatting climate change and creating jobs.”
Some other races that would affect Indian-Americans’ political standing nationally and at state levels include California state Attorney General Kamala Harris’ run for the U.S. Senate; incumbent California Democratic Rep. Ami Bera, running for his third term from District 7; Maryland state Assemblyman and former Majority Leader Kumar Barve, the first Indian-American to win a state assembly seat back in 1990, still seeking his party’s nomination in his bid for the U.S. Congress from District 8; civil rights advocate and Washington state Assemblywoman Pramila Jayapal’s run for the Senate from District 7; attorney Neil Makhija, chosen by the Democratic Party to run for the Pennsylvania state House from District 122; and three-term Vermont state Rep. Kesha Ram’s bid for Lt. Governor, among others.
WASHINGTON, D.C: There have been studies that have found that America gains much by attracting talented, educated and resourceful workforce from among the world through its popular H1-B Work Visa, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump stoked another controversy by vowing to abolish the visa program, popular among Indian techies. IT professionals from India and major Indian IT companies are major beneficiary of H-1B, a non-immigrant visa in the US which allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in speciality occupations.
Donald Trump has said the H-1B visa programme he uses to employ highly-skilled foreign workers at his own businesses should end as it is “very unfair” for American workers and has been taking away their jobs. The last Republican presidential debate in Miami began with all the four White House aspirants slamming the H-1B visa system — popular among Indian techies, with Florida Senator Marco Rubio even naming Tata and India as part of his anti- H-1B rhetoric.
“I know the H-1B very well. And it’s something that I frankly use and I shouldn’t be allowed to use it. We shouldn’t have it. Very, very bad for workers. It’s very important to say, well, I’m a businessman and I have to do what I have to do,” Trump said while responding to a question on foreign workers, in particular H-1B visas. “When it’s sitting there waiting for you, but it’s very bad. It’s very bad for business, it’s very bad for our workers and it’s unfair for our workers. We should end it,” he said.
Trump’s website calls for eliminating the H-1B class of visas that allow companies to import high-skilled workers from countries like India. “We do need highly skilled, and one of the biggest problems we have is people go to the best colleges,” Trump said.
However, Trump had recently said in political rally, “They’ll go to Harvard, they’ll go to Stanford, they’ll go to Wharton, as soon as they’re finished they’ll get shoved out. They want to stay in this country,” he said. “They want to stay here desperately, they’re not able to stay here. For that purpose, we absolutely have to be able to keep the brain power in this country,” Trump said in response to a question.
“I’m changing. I’m changing. We need highly skilled people in this country, and if we can’t do it, we’ll get them in. But, and we do need in Silicon Valley, we absolutely have to have,” Trump, 69, said during the Republican presidential debate in Detroit. Responding to a question on his views on immigration in particular highly skilled people, Trump said America needs highly skilled professionals.
“So you abandoning the position on your website…?” he was asked. “I’m changing it, and I’m softening the position, because we have to have talented people in this country,” Trump said.
However, within an hour of his statement, which was interpreted differently by immigration experts, Trump clarified his position. “The H-1B program is neither high-skilled nor immigration: these are temporary foreign workers, imported from abroad, for the explicit purpose of substituting for American workers at lower pay,” Trump said.
“I remain totally committed to eliminating rampant, widespread H-1B abuse and ending outrageous practices such as those that occurred at Disney in Florida when Americans were forced to train their foreign replacements,” he said in his statement.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio immediately slammed Trump for his policy change. “Tonight, Donald Trump finally took an actual position,” Rubio said in a statement provided by his campaign. “But as soon as the debate was over, his handlers made him reverse himself. The Republican nominee cannot be somebody who is totally clueless on so many issues, including his signature issue,” he said.
Muslims and Sikhs in Maryland have joined the camp of Donald Trump claiming that the Republican presidential frontrunner is not actually against their communities. Members of the two groups – “Sikh Americans for Trump” and “Muslim Americans for Trump” – whose members are mostly South Asians, held its first meeting in a Maryland suburb that was addressed by a representative from the Trump campaign. According to media reports, the organizers of the meeting argued that the view of Trump about minority community has been “twisted” and “taken out of context” by the mainstream media. They also said that the billionaire real estate magnet would create more jobs in the country which would benefit the minorities.
“He (Trump) is not at all against the Sikhs or the Muslim community. What he says is given spin. The mainstream media gives a spin because they are scared of him. He is not the status quo. He is not taking anybody’s money,” Jasdip Singh, who helped organize the “Sikh Americans for Trump” in Maryland, was quoted as saying in a news agency report widely published in Indian newspapers.
A prominent member of the Sikh community, Singh is chairman of the Maryland governor’s Commission on South Asian Affairs and chairman of the Board of Sikh Associations of Baltimore. He said when Trump talks about Muslims, he does not talk about all Muslims or American Muslims. “He spoke in the context of the refugee crisis that was happening in Syria. We (Sikhs) agree with him. Muslim Americans agree with him that we should not bring people into this country before we can vet them. And this was a temporary measures proposed by him,” Singh said.
Trump is not against the minorities, he said, adding that he believes that his presidency will be good for India. Sajid Tarar, a Pakistani-American, who helped organize the Muslim Americans for Trump, said that of all the presidential candidates, Trump is the only one who has achievements to show.
“We believe, he has the ability and capacity to change America. He has built a huge empire. He is self-funding the campaign. There is no special interest behind him,” Tarar said. “There is a war going on against Trump. Every message and speech of his has been twisted,” he said referring to the Trump’s call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country.
Kesha Ram, 29, an young Indian American, is seeking to win a statewide election in Vermont to be this north eastern state’s next Lieutenant Governor. Having served four two-year terms as a state representative in the Legislature, Ram is now shifting her focus to the post of lieutenant governor.
“When I first ran for the legislature, it was the start of the great recession,” Ram said of her first campaign when she was just 21 and ending her college career. “We were lucky if we could shape our future. It felt important to be a voice for our experience.” During her four terms and eight years in the state House, Ram has dedicated herself to improving civic engagement opportunities for residents of Vermont, as well as helping vulnerable populations get access to much-needed services.
Inspired by then Senator Barack Obama whom she introduced in 2006, at a rally when he came to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders, Ram now she feels she accomplished enough in the legislature since 2008, and that it’s time to move on. But it’s a crowded field with at least three Democrats and a Republican vying in the Aug. 9 primaries.
But this time to the Lieutenant Governor’s office, a part-time post with a just a couple of ceremonial duties. She however, plans to change that. Vermont is one of 11 states that uses an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party’s primary.
Vermont’s current Lieutenant Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, is running for governor in a state that has elected presidential candidate and avowed Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders to the U.S. Senate for many years now. Ram, vying for the seat being vacated by Phil Scott, R-Vt., who is running for governor in 2016, is up against fellow Democrats Garrett Graff, Brandon Riker and Sen. David Zuckerman. Former Sen. Randy Brock is the only declared Republican running, while Dr. Louis Meyers has declared his candidacy as an independent. The primary election for the lieutenant governor seat in Vermont is set for Aug. 2; the general election is Nov. 8.
“I feel I’ve accomplished quite a bit in my time in the state legislature,” said Ram, the daughter of a white mother and Indian father, and great-great granddaughter of renowned civil engineer Sir Ganga Ram.
Born to a father who immigrated to the U.S. from India and mother born-and-raised in Illinois, Ram grew up in the Los Angeles area, where her parents met while they attended UCLA. “My father had a passion for opening a small business,” Ram said. Her parents started an Irish pub, McGinty’s Irish Pub, and the hard work it took her father to get that going was instilled early on in Ram. She chose to direct that passion and energy into political work.
Even while she was attending the University of Vermont, which she chose because she felt a “strong sense of community” during a visit prior to committing to the school, she had developed her political voice. The young Indian American served as the university’s student body president and was still enrolled as a senior when she ran for, and won, a spot as state representative eight years ago.
“As lieutenant governor, I’m able to create an opportunity agenda for the entire state,” Ram said, adding that the office is open part-time but she is devoted to working the position full-time, even when not in session. “(The position) relies on relationships and brings people together for a common goal. I have proven I can do this during my time in the legislature.”
She counts among those accomplishments expanding incentives for first-time home buyers; protecting victims of sexual abuse, leading the move to pass human trafficking laws, revenge porn laws, and stalking laws; as well as getting Vermont to recognize the Native American Abenaki tribe so that it qualifies to apply for benefits.
“I am seen as a consensus lawmaker,” Ram says. And the youth she wanted to represent then now face newer problems, which she claims she could address better from her new perch as Lt. Governor.
“The reason I got into politics was because our generation was struggling in the height of the recession, where we hardly had a place on our parents’ couch,” she said. “Now our young people are facing problems as first time-homebuyers, meeting student debts etc. There are very few people who can speak for them.” Work for the past eight years on making higher education affordable, dealing with debt, evidently was not enough, she concedes.
“The position is what you make of it,” Ram counters. “I see myself as a ‘Connector-in Chief’” –bringing people together.” Vermont, unlike many other states, requires the governor and Lieutenant Governor to run on separate tickets and not the same slate. It may end up having different party leaders occupying those offices. She believes her consensus building skills will be important.
In a bid to gain advantage in the Democratic presidential primary, Bernie Sanders’s campaign has distributed a video last week showing Hillary Clinton on television in India in 2012 saying there are “pluses and minuses” to outsourcing U.S. jobs. Appearing on Indian station NDTV during her tenure as secretary of state, Clinton was asked during a town hall-style public affairs program for her thoughts on outsourcing from the United States to India.
“Well, you know, it’s been going on for many years now,” Clinton said on the program, “and it’s part of our economic relationship with India, and I think there are advantages with it that have certainly benefited many parts of our country, and there are disadvantages that go to the need to, you know, improve the job skills of our own people and create a better economic environment, so it’s, like anything, it’s, you know, got pluses and minuses.”
The two Democratic campaigns offer very different interpretations of her comments and their broader significance. Sanders’s camp is prepared to argue that Clinton’s words, spoken abroad, show an insensitivity to the plight of U.S. workers, including those in trade-battered Michigan, which has shed far more than its share of manufacturing jobs.
Clinton’s team, meanwhile, says that there’s really nothing to see here: that what Clinton said is consistent with her view that trade can be a mixed bag and the president needs to work to maximize its advantages for the United States.
Sanders’s campaign manager, Jeff Weaver, said he’s convinced Clinton’s comments will not play well in Michigan “when so many communities like Detroit and Flint have been hurt so badly by outsourcing. Secretary Clinton should explain to the people of Michigan how they have benefited from outsourcing of their manufacturing jobs,” Weaver said.
Clinton’s aides argue that during the campaign she has demonstrated a much deeper commitment than Sanders to rebuilding the U.S. manufacturing sector. “Hillary Clinton is the only candidate in this race with a comprehensive agenda to create jobs, revitalize manufacturing communities and break down barriers for small businesses to start and grow,” said Clinton spokesman Jesse Ferguson. “Rather than attacks on the past, Senator Sanders should tell Michigan voters how he will create manufacturing jobs and grow our economy.”
Sanders said, he has consistently opposed “disastrous” trade deals, starting with the North American Free Trade Agreement in the 1990s, that Clinton supported during her tenures as first lady, a senator from New York and secretary of state. Sanders has also been critical of the length of time it took for Clinton to reach her current opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership, a pending pact championed by President Obama that Sanders opposed from the outset.
WASHINGTON — President Obama is reportedly vetting Sri Srinivasan, 49, federal appellate judge who has enjoyed substantial support from Republicans in the past, as potential nominee for a Supreme Court vacancy that has set off a brutal election-year fight.
Jane L. Kelly and Merrick B. Garland, both federal appellate judges, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, a federal trial judge, are among others, reportedly being vetted by President Obama for the vacancy in the highest Court in the country. Reports state that they are undergoing background checks by the F.B.I. The White House has not given any indication in this regard.
“President Obama is vetting Merrick B. Garland and Sri Srinivasan, federal appellate judges who have enjoyed substantial support from Republicans in the past, as potential nominees for a Supreme Court vacancy that has set off a brutal election-year fight,” The New York Times reported March 5.
Taken together, the names help flesh out a list of potential nominees for an appointment that could reshape the court and the country. A replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia, a conservative icon who died on Feb. 13, could hold the deciding vote on matters of abortion rights, guns, the environment, campaign finance and a wide range of other issues.
Srinivasan is currently the U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which many call as a stepping stone to the Supreme Court. He is not only considered a favorite of Obama, who called him a trailblazer, but also his nomination was confirmed by a record 97-0 vote.
Srinivasan was sworn in as judge Sept. 26, 2013, making him the first Indian American to be on the bench of the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the District of Columbia Circuit. Retired Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor has called Srinivasan “fair, faultless and fabulous.” He received the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering U.S. National Security in 2003, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence in 2005.
Amidst protests from Republicans, President Obama has said he has an obligation under the Constitution, which says he “shall” nominate Supreme Court justices, to fill the vacancy. Public opinion polls indicate that large majorities of Americans believe that the Senate should hold confirmation hearings.
New York, NY: A coalition of groups representing women in politics is pushing for Jenifer Rajkumar to replace former New York State Assemblyman Sheldon Silver in a special election. Rajkumar, an attorney and district leader in the 65th Assembly district, previously sought a city council seat. Sheldon Silver, 71, lost his seat recently when he was convicted on all seven felony counts of corruption, including extortion, money laundering and theft of honest services.
Rajkumar is one of several Democrats seeking to replace Silver in his lower Manhattan Assembly district. The former speaker stepped down from the top post in January following his arrest, but retained his seat in the back of the Assembly chamber. Rajkumar is optimistic despite the Democratic County Committee in the 65th Assembly District overwhelmingly endorsing someone else for the Special Election.
Seven Democrats are in the running to fill the vacant seat. Democratic District Leader Alice Cancel has been endorsed by the Democratic County Committee of the 65th District, where Rajkumar trailed 3rd in the vote count. Others include Working Families Party candidate Yuh-Line Niou, chief of staff to Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim, who has been endorsed by the chairman of the state Assembly’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus; District Leader Paul Newell; and a local community board chairwoman Gigi Li.
Rajkumar practices civil rights law, with a specialty in employment discrimination, worker’s rights, class actions, and whistleblower lawsuits. She was part of the litigation team in Velez v. Novartis, on behalf of a class of 5,600 women in their disparate pay and pregnancy discrimination claims. The U.N. named this one of the top ten cases in the world advancing women’s equality, and it resulted in the largest ever jury award in an employment discrimination case.
Rajkumar has helped represent whistleblowers taking a stand against corporate greed and corruption in multiple qui tam actions under the Federal False Claims Act, where she has helped secure millions of dollars for her firm’s clients. She recently originated an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of NOW, Equal Rights Advocates, and other national women’s groups where her firm argued for equality for women in nontraditional fields such as construction, firefighting, and mining. Rajkumar graduated from Stanford Law School. She was named a “Rising Star” by City & State and received a “Young Woman of Achievement Award” from WIN in 2012.She was selected as a 40 Under 40 Rising Star by City & State, one of New York’s premier news soures for politics, in its annual 40 Under 40 Rising Stars list., Rising Star, City & State, 2012.
The young Indian American was selected from an extremely competitive pool for a 2012 WIN Young Woman of Achievement Award, awarded annually to five high achieving women below the age of 35 by national nonprofit that seeks to train the next generation of women leaders. Selectors included WIN Advisory Council Members who are women at the top of their fields in government, nonprofit, law, and politics. Presented award in Washington, DC at a ceremony attended by about 300 people., Young Women of Achievement Award, WIN (Women’s Information Network), 2012. She was declared a “Local Heroine’ by the Battery Park paper The Broadsheet.
The Indian-American has been an elected Democratic Leader since 2011 and has deep roots in the area, which she emphasized would carry her through. Rajkumar has been endorsed by the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club named after the well-known gay rights advocate. Last December, a coalition of national women’s groups endorsed Rajkumar, including the Women’s Campaign Fund. A few weeks ago, a coalition of Latino leaders in the Lower East Side endorsed her as well.
“In a nation now ranked 86th in the world in the number of women in elected office and dropping, it is essential that we support the political ascendancy of women like Jenifer Rajkumar,” said Siobhan “Sam” Bennett, the author and political advocate who is a former president and CEO of the Women’s Campaign Fund. “Beyond her obvious qualifications, as a young minority woman she embodies exactly what is needed to correct our nation’s long-term electoral course. I’m proud to support her current candidacy and to have been one of those to encourage her to run for office at the beginning of her bright political career.”
Former Deputy Mayor Ninfa Segarra also endorsed Rajkumar’s Assembly bid, calling her an “ideal candidate.” “She has the ability to unite the many different communities in the district and provide a strong voice fighting for the district’s needs. Jenifer has the skill sets and temperament to succeed in New York State government,” Segarra said.
If elected, Rajkumar would be joining a Legislature that has seen an increasing number of women holding seats, with female representation hitting a new high of 55 members this year. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to call a special election for Silver’s seat for April 19, the same day as the presidential primary in New York.
Washington, DC: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, resigned on Sunday in order to endorse presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Gabbard — who was the first Hindu and first American Samoan to be elected to Congress, as well as the youngest person ever elected to the Hawaii legislature, at age 21 — commended the leftist Vermont senator for his foreign policy, and his opposition to the hawkish policies of fellow presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
“After much thought and consideration, I’ve decided I cannot remain neutral and sit on the sidelines any longer,” she wrote in an email to fellow DNC officers obtained by Politico.
“There is a clear contrast between our two candidates with regard to my strong belief that we must end the interventionist, regime change policies that have cost us so much,” Gabbard said.
“This is not just another ‘issue.’ This is THE issue, and it’s deeply personal to me,” Gabbard continued. “This is why I’ve decided to resign as Vice Chair of the DNC so that I can support Bernie Sanders in his efforts to earn the Democratic nomination in the 2016 presidential race.”
Gabbard, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has condemned U.S. policy in Syria. In late 2015, she introduced a bipartisan bill that called for “an immediate end to the illegal, counter-productive war to overthrow” Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Washington, DC: March 7, 201: The coming of age of the Indian American community is evident all over with the tiny less than 1% of the US population leading in several areas of American life. With the record number of Indian Americans holding high jobs in the Obama administration, many more are even trying to take an active role in the politics of the country by trying to get elected to public offices across the nation. They are the most affluent and best educated of any immigrant group in the country, according to Pew. They include doctors, engineers, tech entrepreneurs and educators, and form a rich donor base. However, Indian-Americans are more spread out than other ethnic groups, and Indian-American candidates in expensive races often have to go out of state to raise funds.
With only one sitting US Congressman of Indian origin in the US Congress, many more are now vying to enter the US Congress. Kamala Harris in California is expected to win the US Senate race in November. With veteran House of Delegates member Kumar Barve running for Congress in Maryland, and Rep. Ami Bera currently ensconced representing a congressional district in Northern California, if the stars align themselves fortuitously, the Indian American community could have many more members elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016.
The Indian American presence on the political stage was delayed until the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which opened up the quotas preventing Indians from migrating to the United States and sharply increased the presence of Indians in America. Dalip Singh Saund was the first Indian American member of the House of Representatives, a Sikh who converted his PhD in math to a successful farming career in California, garnering support for a brief Congressional career. But the Indian American presence in Congress since then has been limited, the only blip being former Congressman—and the former governor of Louisiana—Bobby Jindal and the rising star in the Republican Party, Nikki Haley, the governor of North Carolina.
They lean strongly toward Democrats, yet two Republican governors, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Nikki Haley of South Carolina, are of Indian descent. Harris will have to seek contributions to run in a state with some of the costliest media markets in the country. Asian-Americans could form a crucial part of her campaign.
Indian Americans are also aligning with presidential candidates of their choices across the nation. “By mid-March, we will have a clear Democratic nominee,” Indian American political activist Saif Khan, a volunteer for Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton’s campaign, told the media. “After ‘Super Tuesday,’ we will see a significant lead in delegates and the delegate allocation will show who the clear front runner is,” he said. Khan, an Iraq war veteran, is joining “Operation Rolling Victory,” a campaign initiative in which former war veterans come out to support Clinton at various rallies throughout the country. “When it comes to political contributions, that aspect of her identity will become important,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, associate dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside.
People from New York and New Jersey have got busy this election year to give some time from work to party candidates. While it was difficult to get an exact count of how many Indian-American volunteers are working from the Tri-state area for the Democratic campaign, some young political activists, put the figure of leading volunteers in leadership roles close to 100. There are many others giving some of their time and energy to campaigns.
Sampat Shivangi, founder of the Indian American Forum for Political Education, has expressed disappointment over former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush’s decision to drop out of the race, following the Republican primary Feb. 20 in South Carolina. Bush had fared dismally throughout the battle, trailing far behind Republican contenders Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.
Dr. Zachariah P. Zachariah, a long-time supporter of the Bush family, also expressed dispaoointment: “I am very disappointed that Governor Bush has decided to get out of the race. I have great admiration for him. He is a fantastic human being.” Zachariah, also a long-time Republican Party leader, said he was “perplexed” as to how to move forward. “This is a new game. I have no idea what happens next.” “The extreme right wing of the Republican Party has hijacked the party. Trump is preying upon the angriest of people and dividing the electorate,” said Zachariah.
Calling Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump as the “best hope for America”, some Indian-Americans in the New York Tristate area have formed a Political Action Committee (PAC) to support and raise funds for him. Headed by Dr. AD Amar, a business professor with Seton Hall University in New Jersey, the ‘Indian-Americans for Trump 2016’ was registered as a PAC with the Federal Election Commission last month. Its sole goal is “to garner actively the support of all Americans, but particularly Indian-Americans, to have Donald J. Trump become the next President of the USA,” the PAC said in a press release.
Ash Kalra, a member of the San Jose City Council, is vying to become the first Indian-American elected to the California legislature. “The longer the Indian-American community has been in this country, the more it has matured,” Kalra said. “And part of that maturity is becoming more politically active.”
Last year, technology lawyer Ro Khanna, a Democrat, sought a seat in Congress, while former U.S. Treasury Department official Neel Kashkari, a Republican, ran for governor. Though both challenged popular incumbents and lost, their efforts are emblematic of the rise in Indian-American political engagement.
The election results could have major consequences for India and the Indian Americans. The average Indian American may be more interested in a US president who keeps the “golden door” open for immigrants, students and temporary hi-tech workers. They would also be reassured if the White House has a person who upholds traditional liberal democratic views on religious minorities and multiculturalism as a whole.
The populists in both parties, whether Trump or Sanders, have been the most vocal against migrants. Trump has targeted Muslims and Mexicans, Sanders H-1B visa workers. But their rhetoric would worry migratory birds the most. India, however, gets only a passing mention by even the most extreme candidates. Ultimately, says Twining, “the fact that India, unlike China, will not be an election issue should be reassuring to New Delhi.”
Says Sanjay Puri, head of the US-India Political Action Committee, “Indian-Americans tend to be more Democrats than Republicans and it has not changed much this election cycle, especially with Clinton running as she has long-standing relationships with the Indian-American community.” But, he notes, no candidate is allergic to Indians. “Each candidate has a support base in the Indian-American community.”
California’s 17th Congressional district seat remains hotly-contested between Honda and Khanna. The two squared off in the 2014 election cycle in which Honda prevailed by less than 5,000 over the Indian American Stanford professor.
The endorsement for Honda at the state’s Democratic Convention, held Feb. 26 through Feb. 28 in San Jose, Calif., comes just a month after the delegates were unable to endorse a candidate at the Jan. 28 pre-endorsement conference.
The campaign of Honda’s Democratic challenger, Indian American Ro Khanna, however, was encouraged by the developments simply because Honda had to go to the convention to get the endorsement. “The entire (endorsement process) is rigged to protect the incumbent,” Khanna campaign spokesman Hari Sevugan told the media. The endorsement process has three rounds for the party to give its endorsement, with incumbents not getting endorsed if more than 20 percent, 30 percent or 50 percent oppose each round, respectively.
Honda did not receive 80 percent support in the first round, setting up the pre-endorsement conference in which he failed to secure the 70 percent needed. The fallout from that led to the February convention in which he needed 50 percent of the delegates’ support. “It’s embarrassing for Honda that it even got to this point,” Sevugan said, adding that the majority of the delegates voting are appointed by Honda or his allies.
Despite receiving the endorsement, Honda continues to lose support of many dignitaries, who are siding with Khanna in his campaign efforts. Among those shifting gears in 2016 are California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and the Laborers International Union of North American Pacific Southwest Region.
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen and Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone have endorsed Democratic challenger Ro Khanna to represent the 17th Congressional District — a triple blow to Rep. Mike Honda.
None of the three prominent local Democrats endorsed either candidate last year during their first showdown that ended with Honda, D-San Jose, beating Khanna by 3.6 percentage points. And none, at least in their initial statements, hinted that the House Ethics Committee’s ongoing probe of blurred lines between Honda’s office and campaign influenced their endorsements.
The state’s 17th Congressional district includes much of California’s Silicon Valley cities such as Sunnyvale, Cupertino and Santa Clara, as well as north San Jose, Milpitas, Fremont and Newark. Many Indian American Silicon Valley luminaries have thrown their support behind Khanna. The primary election is scheduled for June 7 with the general election on Nov. 8.
Sacramento, CA: Rep. Ami Bera, D-Sacramento, who is seeking reelection to US Congress and California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat, have received endorsements from the California Democratic Party, during the state convention on February 27th.
Bera, who has been in an ongoing battle with Sikh Americans and labor groups in his district – CD-7 – handily won his endorsement, gaining nearly 90 percent of the vote. Fifty people voted for the sole Indian American in Congress, while six voted against him. Bera – who is seeking his third term in office – is running unopposed in the primary election June 7. He will face Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones – a Republican – in the general election Nov. 8.
“I’m proud that local Sacramento County Democrats voted to award me the state party’s endorsement,” Bera said after the vote. “I came to Washington to fix Congress, and to help the working parents, business owners, seniors, and many others in my district get ahead and, today, these fine people recognized this. They know that I went to DC to fix a broken Congress, something I will never stop working to do,” said the physician, who formerly served as the chief medical officer for Sacramento County.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, told party delegates before the endorsement vote was taken that Bera’s position on TPA was different from her position, but that his vote on the issue should not be the sole basis for his re-election. “He is a valued member of the Congress. He has a great base of support at the grassroots level and I think he will win,” said Pelosi.
Kamala Harris also handily won her endorsement from the California Democratic Party, winning more than 78 percent of the vote. Harris is battling Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Orange County, and Republican contender Duf Sundheim, an attorney who formerly served as the state’s Republican Party chairman. California’s open primary allows the top two vote getters from either party to go on to the general election.
In her speech before the endorsement vote, Harris – who served as San Francisco’s District Attorney before ascending to the post of Attorney General in 2012 – chronicled her youth growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, as the daughter of two civil rights activists. She spoke about the hateful rhetoric spewing out of the Republican Party and vowed to protect the fundamental rights of all U.S. residents. “For far too many, liberty and justice for all is a promise we have failed to keep,” said Harris.
After the vote, Harris’s campaign sent out a statement late Feb. 27. “I’m incredibly honored to have the endorsement of the California Democratic Party in the U.S. Senate race, and I’m so proud of the support our campaign has received from every corner of our state,” she said. “We know there is more that unites us than divides us, and I’m grateful to the Californians who joined together to send that message this weekend,” said Harris.
Congressman Ami Bera, running for reelection in the state of California has come under attacks by his own party men, this time, surprisingly by a group led by an Indian American, “Sacramento Democrats For Truth.” Led by Amar Shergill, a former Bera supporter an Indian-American, the new group has launched an attack on Rep. Ami Bera, D-California, on grounds he has “refused” to provide documentation about his overseas trips and that donors to his campaign had overseas interests.
Bera’s support among local Democrats in his district suffered a blow when local unions refused to endorse him for his vote in favor of President Obama’s Trans Pacific Partnership trade pact. Bera is now relying on getting enough support at the state party convention Feb. 26-28, to get re-nominated for his third term race. He is unopposed.
California’s District 7 is almost equally divided along party lines and has a significant uncommitted voter base, has proved a tough seat and Bera has won with small margins. Republicans have targeted the district for takeover.
Ami Bera won reelection over a year ago with a razor thin margin. Now with strong opposition from both Democrats, Labor Unions and Republicans, his reelection bid in the November 2016 election has come to be recognized as even harder. The National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) ad has tried to distort Bera’s record of finding bipartisan solutions and protecting and strengthening Medicare and defending against efforts to privatize Social Security.
“Congressman Ose’s DC Republican backers are just repeating the same tired old lies,” said Bera spokesperson Allison Teixeira. “They are resorting to more misleading attacks to try to distract voters from Ose’s partisan record of voting with his political party nearly 95 percent of the time while helping enrich himself and his Wall Street friends, and voting to privatize Social Security.”
According to Rep. Bera’s website, Bera has a clear record of finding bipartisan solutions to our nation’s challenges as a leader of the Problem Solvers’ No Labels coalition, and is one of the most moderate members of Congress. He is also an ardent defender of Social Security and Medicare, recently announcing the support of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) and the Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA) because he has been “a leader in the fight to preserve and protect Social Security and Medicare,” and has “a proven record of fighting plans that would end the Medicare guarantee for our seniors.”
In a press release, the Sacramento Democrats For Truth said that despite requests from some party delegates, Bera “has refused to provide documents describing payments for his overseas trips, with whom he meets and his political contributors with more than $1 million in assets overseas.” The group said they had gone through Bera’s campaign finance filings, and remain “troubled by contributions from those that appear to be closely connected to foreign investment funds and foreign nations.”
Bera calls the accusations unfounded and that all regulations relating to foreign trips had been complied with and quarterly filings with the Federal Elections Commission were public. Even Shergill conceded that Bera would get the state party endorsement this coming weekend. “At the state convention, it’s very likely the party establishment will rescue his endorsement and he will get it even though he is rejected by his local Democrats,” Shergill said.
Shergill’s list of 9 contributors to Bera, virtually all of them venture capitalists, showed none of them had given money to SuperPACs with overseas interests. Rather, they had contributed the maximum allowed, $2,700 to Bera and given large amounts to Democratic Party or Democratic candidate SuperPACs.
“All of the Congressman’s contributions are publicly available and disclosed on a quarterly basis, and as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee he complies with all travel disclosure rules,” Congressman Bera’s campaign manager Jerid Kurtz said. “It’s unfortunate that the same detractors that worked against the Congressman since 2014 are continuing to lob baseless accusations,” Kurtz added.
Indian American politician Swati Dandekar, who was nominated as executive director to Asian Development Bank (ADB) with ambassadorial rank by US President Barack Obama in November last year, began her Congressional hearings by Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on February 11, 2016. If confirmed by the US Senate, Dandekar will replace Robert M. Orr who held the position since 2010.
Obama announced his intention to nominate Dandekar to the top position in Asian Development Bank (ADB) along with eight other key administration posts. “I am confident that these experienced and hardworking individuals will help us tackle the important challenges facing America, and I am grateful for their service. I look forward to working with them,” Obama said.
Dandekar, a Nagpur and Bombay University alumni, is a former Iowa state legislator and a member of the Iowa Utilities Board, according to her White House biography. She was the first Indian-American citizen to win a state legislature seat in the United States. Dandekar was a Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives in the 2014 elections in the 1st Congressional District of Iowa, but lost in the primaries.
Dandekar, the nominee for U.S. Executive Director for the Asian Development Bank with Rank of Ambassador U.S., in a prepared statement before the Senate Committee, stated, “I am honored to have been nominated by President Obama to be the next United States Executive Director with the rank of Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank.”
Recalling her immigration to this land of opportunities, Danekar, who came to the United States as an immigrant in 1973 after she I married her husband of 43 years, Arvind Dandekar , who is is President of Fastek International, a software development company, said, “During my nine years in the Iowa House and Senate, from 2003 until 2011, I had the chance to work at the state level. I am excited by the potential opportunity to work internationally as the U.S. Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).”
Stating that as a legislator, she has always worked with both sides of the aisle to develop consensus positions that were acceptable to all interested parties. Over the years, she gained insight in to state finances and budgets, and she also has had extensive experience serving on a variety of boards in Iowa, such as the Linn-Mar School Board, Vision Iowa Board, Iowa Values Fund, Iowa Power Fund, and Iowa Utilities Board. “These experiences have provided me with a firsthand look at the transformative power of appropriate use of development funds. My extensive background in managing projects and cultivating partnerships will help me to carry out the responsibilities of the U.S. Executive Director at the ADB, which is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia Pacific region through sustainable and inclusive economic growth, investments in human capital, and good governance,” she said.
“If confirmed, my first priority will be to advance U.S. policy interests at the ADB. Additionally, I will work to ensure that the U.S. Commerce Department and other entities that publicize opportunities for U.S. businesses to compete for business overseas include information on how to compete for contracts from the ADB,” Dandekar said.
She also credited her upbringing in India to provide her with an excellent understanding of the Asian culture, pointing to her ability to speak in English and Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi, as well as having working knowledge in Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali languages. “My language skills and cultural awareness will position me well to address challenges facing the ADB and communicate how ADB is fueling positive economic development and stability throughout the region,” she said. Dandekar said, “I look forward to representing the United States at ADB and ensuring that our country’s priority initiatives are advanced.”
Nikki Haley, the popular Governor of South Carolina has dismissed rumors of her running for Vice President of the United States in the upcoming presidential elections. Amid reports that she was emerging as a “fantastic choice” to be the Republican Party’s vice presidential candidate, Indian American Governor has ruled out any such possibility, saying her “plate is full.” She said she is quite “content” with her responsibilities as the governor of South Carolina and the mother of two kids.
When asked about the latest media reports that Rubio-Haley would be a dream Republican ticket, Haley told Fox News in an interview: “Not at all. I have said my plate is full. I am not only a mom, my daughter is going to college next year, and my son is in middle school. I got a state that I love. We have not finished all the work we want to finish here.
“So I am totally content and happy in South Carolina. What I do want to see is that America gets a great president,” the 44-year-old said in a joint appearance with Rubio on Fox News in South Carolina.
“I think we can do that with Marco Rubio,” she said, responding to questions of her potential campaign as the vice presidential mate of Rubio, which is being reported by some major media outlets.
Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina said that he is “all for” Haley being picked for vice president. Haley is articulate and a strong leader who went “through the fire” during a tragic 2015 in the state, he said. “She would be a fantastic choice and one that I think the country would be quite responsive to,” Scott said.
However, The Washington Post offered a word of caution. “A Rubio-Haley ticket might be many things. But a panacea for the GOP’s sundry political and demographic challenges? It certainly is not,” it said. But for The New York Observer, a Rubio-Haley ticket would be Democratic presidential front runner Hillary Clinton’s worst nightmare.
“The sight of Florida Senator Marco Rubio standing side-by-side with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley after her blockbuster endorsement of his candidacy for president days before the South Carolina GOP primary gave the appearance of a presidential ticket that would be a game changer for the 2016 campaign,” it said.
“Maybe a Hispanic-Asian ticket with one candidate who’s rediscovering his tea-party roots and another who’s made herself into the top union-hater in the country is the best they can do,” The New Yorker wrote.
Kamala Harris, California Attorney General, wants to be a U.S. Senator, and she has already been campaigning for a seat for more than a year. Wednesday, February 24th, she formally and legally declared herself a candidate, filling out the official paperwork at the registrar’s office in Norwalk. The Democratic attorney general is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Barbara Boxer, who retires from her post at the end of her term in 2017.
“We got in early, we’ve been running hard, and this makes it official. So I’m very excited,” Harris said. Since announcing, Harris has been the frontrunner, leading in the polls. If Harris wins the seat, she would be the first Indian American to ever serve in the Senate and the second-ever African-American woman. She says her strategy is to truly connect with voters. “Sitting and talking with them and listening, most importantly, and then hopefully, this work will result in a successful bid for the United States Senate,” Harris said.
Harris says there are some key issues she’s focusing on, including education, the economy, the environment and equality. “That’s everything from what we need to do around continuing to fight for the rights for our LGBT brothers and sisters, to what we need to do around immigration reform, to what we need to do around protecting a woman’s right to choose what to do with her own body,” Harris said.
Luis Vizcaino, a campaign spokesman for Harris’ Democratic rival Rep. Loretta Sanchez, maintained that Sanchez is the most qualified for the seat. He released the following statement: “California needs an experienced and proven leader to tackle the full range of economic, educational and foreign relation challenges we face today. Our next U.S. Senator must have an extensive legislative and national security background and share the life experiences of working families – and that’s Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, who last year was named one of the 25 most influential women in Congress by CQ Roll Call because she knows how to work with members from both sides of the aisle. She is the most qualified candidate for the job of U.S. Senator.”
Republican candidate lawyer Duf Sundheim says he disagrees with Harris’ stances but welcomes her into the race. His campaign released the following statement: “I welcome Ms. Harris into the race. Elections are about choices. The contrast between our candidacy and Ms. Harris’ could not be clearer.”
When U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, her name surfaced as a potential nominee, but Harris made it clear she did not want to be considered for that position. “I’m not putting my name in for consideration. I do not wish to be considered. I am running for the United States Senate,” Harris told reporters at a recent campaign stop.
Harris is viewed as a rising Democratic star. She campaigned for Obama in both his presidential bids, and he returned the favor by holding a fundraiser for Harris during her successful 2010 campaign to become California’s first female and first minority attorney general. California’s June 7 primary will send the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, to the general election in November.
Born of an Indian mother — Shyamala Gopalan, who emigrated from Chennai in the ‘60s — and Jamaican American father, Stanford University economics professor Donald Harris, she is the first ever Asian American and African American to be elected to this top position in California.
So far, only three Indian Americans have been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives — Dalip Singh Saund, Bobby Jindal and Ami Bera, who was re-elected for his second term last November.
NEW YORK, NY: The Muslim Democratic Club of New York (MDCNY), on February 16, 2016, voted to endorse United States Senator Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Presidential Primary. Sanders received unanimous support in a vote held at the club’s membership meeting on Tuesday evening.
“MDCNY is proud to make its first ever endorsement in a national race by supporting Bernie Sanders. His honesty, integrity, and progressive agenda are in line with the principles of our club,” said MDCNY President Murad Awawdeh. “For too long, anti-Muslim rhetoric in this election has attempted to push our communities to the margins. Our voice and vote will be felt as we activate our members throughout New York to mobilize our communities to vote for Sanders in the April primary. We also plan to volunteer remotely to provide support in the earlier primary states.”
MDCNY Secretary Mohammad Khan remarked “the Sanders campaign offers a refreshing break from the establishment politics that favor the wealthy and well-connected. For communities like ours, which have long been marginalized, we need someone with a transformative vision for change.”
After a virtual tie in Iowa and a decisive win in New Hampshire, the Sanders campaign is picking up increasing momentum going into the remaining primary elections.
The Muslim Democratic Club of New York is a city-wide organization dedicated to increasing the civic empowerment of Muslim New Yorkers and advancing progressive policies in the Democratic Party.NY
Charlotte, SC: South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has endorsed Florida Senator Marco Rubio in his bid to be the nominee of the Republican Party in the upcoming presidential elections. “If we elect Marco Rubio, every day will be a great day in America,” she said alongside the Florida senator during a rally in suburban Columbia.
Polls suggest Trump continues to hold a big lead in South Carolina and in upcoming states, as Cruz works to rally the Republican Party’s most conservative wing and Rubio tries to consolidate mainstream Republicans behind his candidacy. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Ohio Gov. John Kasich continue to battle for a spot at the table, while retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson struggles for relevancy.
A highly coveted endorsement from popular Nikki Haley — one Jeb Bush himself had described as “the most powerful, meaningful one in the state” earlier this week — has gone to Rubio. Haley’s endorsement was a major setback for Bush, who said her decision left him “disappointed.”
Nikki Haley, the popular Indian American governor, who is being speculated as a possible US vice presidential candidate, said she was tasked with identifying the best candidate as she surveyed the crowded GOP field.
In her endorsement, Haley said: “I wanted somebody that was going to go and show my parents that the best decision they ever made for their children was coming to America. We say that every day is a great day in South Carolina. Ladies and gentlemen, if we elect Marco Rubio, every day will be a great day in America!” Haley said.
“You know that I always say I am the proud daughter of Indian parents. That reminded us every day how blessed we were to live in this country,” she said in her brief remarks. Haley said she wants a president who is going to have the backs of military veterans and those in active duty.
“I want a president that knows that when we fight wars, we win wars. I want a president that understands we have to stop the federal mandates that have been pushed on the states like Obamacare and the EPA,” she said. In endorsing Rubio, Haley said: “I wanted somebody with fight, somebody with passion, somebody with conviction to do the right thing, but also somebody humble enough to remember you work for all the people.”
“But I want a president who understands that they have to go back to Washington, D.C., and bring a conscience back to our Republicans. Our Republicans need to remember what we are about, which is about balanced budgets, cutting debt, building reserves and making sure that they understand that this guy, he is all about term limits in D.C., and that is what we want to see in a president,” Haley said. “We were excited when we got the word that this was a real possibility,” Rubio said after securing Haley’s endorsement.
“For us and for me, I have said this before, and I would say, despite the endorsement, I would say this: She represents everything I want the Republican Party to be about — fiscal responsibility and a limited federal government. All the things that our government should be about and all the things our party should be about, she embodies,” Rubio said.
Haley is viewed as an asset in a Republican Party that has struggled to appeal to non-white voters. She made a high-profile speech at the National Press Club in September, and in January was picked by congressional leaders to give the Republican response to President Obama’s final State of the Union speech. Her decision to endorse Rubio follows her earlier criticism of GOP frontrunner Donald Trump.
“Every time someone criticizes him, he goes and makes a political attack back,” Haley said in September. “That is not who we are as Republicans. That’s not what we do. That not what I want my South Carolinians to do.” Haley has also urged her fellow Republicans to celebrate the contributions of legal immigrants, a pointed departure from Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. Haley said, electing Rubio would “show my parents the best decision they made for their children was coming to America.”
(Washington, DC: February 19, 2016) Kamala Harris, the first ever person of Indian Origin to win a state wide election in the state of California, and now considered a favorite to win the US Senate race in the same state, has doused speculation that she may be on President Obama’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees, saying during a campaign event at a San Jose union hall that while she is flattered to have her name mentioned, she has no interest in the job at this time.
Harris’ name as a possible Supreme Court nominee arose shortly after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday. Harris addressed the speculation almost immediately when she appeared before the union members, insisting she “was not putting my name out there.” It was her first public event since Scalia’s death.
While presenting the Attorney General’s annual California Data Breach Report at Stanford University, Harris said, “I’m not interested,” she politely told an inquiring television news reporter. As the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, Harris is an appealing prospect for those pushing for more diversity on the Supreme Court. But it would have been extremely difficult for a liberal politician from California to survive what is expected to be a bruising confirmation process in the Republican-led Senate.
Harris, 51, said her focus is on her current job and her campaign to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer. “I’m not putting my name in for consideration. I do not wish to be considered. I am running for the United States Senate,” Harris emphatically told reporters after the union rally.
According to reports, Harris didn’t say who she wants the president to nominate, but suggested it should be someone with “practical life experience.” She also would favor a nominee who would protect abortion rights, and marriage equality for same-sex couples, she said.
“Maybe I’m biased, but I’d like to see someone who’s actually seen the impact of the court and the rulings of the court. Someone who’s thinking of it not just in a way that is theoretical, but … how these laws and these rulings affect real people,” she said.
Karris, a progressive, has always been in the forefront of Civil Rights, Equality and Openness. Harris used herself as an example, saying that she never would have been elected were it not for the not for the educational opportunities she received because of the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling that found segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. Harris said that ruling allowed her to be a member of the second class that integrated Berkeley public schools in the 1960s.
California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris
She criticized the current Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling that struck down a key part of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965, ending federal oversight of election laws in Southern states. Harris said the court “gutted it” and she vowed, if elected to the Senate, to work to reinstate those voter protections that civil rights advocates credit for with transforming the South by ensuring blacks could vote. The attorney general also criticized members of the Senate Republican leadership who vowed to block any Supreme Court nominee put forth by the Democratic president.
“I think the Republicans have been outrageous on this issue. Outrageous,” Harris said. “This president is going to be in office through January of next year. We, as Americans, deserve to have a fully-staffed United States Supreme Court. There are very important issues before the Supreme Court right now.”
California’s primary is set for June 7. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election. Leading in the polls and with two victories in statewide elections under her belt, Harris is the front-runner in the Senate race. Her top Democratic rival is Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Orange. Their Republican challengers include Tom Del Beccaro and George “Duf” Sundheim, both Bay Area attorneys who were former chairmen of the California Republican Party.
Former Obama White House advisor David Axelrod mentioned the possibility of a Harris nomination on a weekend news show, and Harris’ name has popped up on hypothetical lists from the New York Times, Associated Press, USA Today, the National Law Journal and the wonky but well-regarded SCOTUSblog.
“Kamala Harris would be an unusual choice — most recent appointments have been federal court of appeals judges — but a plausible one,” said Erwin Chemerinksy, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law. “However, there are so many plausible names. I doubt anyone has inside information so it is just all speculation.”
She is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., and earned her law degree at UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. Harris as a veteran prosecutor and astute, ambitious political leader. Harris also has been a strong Obama supporter since he was a U.S. Senate candidate from Illinois.
For more than a decade, she worked as a prosecutor in Alameda County and San Francisco, and tried cases involving charges of drunk driving, sex crimes, assault and homicide. Her transition to electoral politics began in 2003 during her successful campaign to unseat San Francisco Dist. Atty. Terence Hallinan. Harris was elected attorney general in 2010, narrowly beating L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley, a Republican. She was reelected in 2014 by a wide margin.
Her parents divorced when Harris was a toddler and her late mother, who was a breast cancer researcher at UC Berkeley, raised Harris and her sister, Maya, to be proud African American women during a tumultuous time in the United States. Harris was a student in the second class to integrate Berkeley’s public schools in the late 1960s. Her sister has served as advisor to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.
Harris’ national profile got a boost when Obama gave her a speaking role at the Democratic National Convention in 2012. The headlines continued in 2013 when Obama apologized publicly for having described her as “the best-looking” attorney general in the country.
For all her demographic and political strengths, Harris does not come from the judicial realm. She has staked out liberal positions on issues that would raise the ire of Republican Senate leaders who already have warned Obama to leave the nomination to the next president.
Throughout her political career, Harris has articulated clear positions on many controversial, divisive issues that could come before the nation’s high court. Harris favors the protection of abortion rights, an end to the federal ban on medical marijuana and a path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally. She backs major changes in the criminal justice system, in part to address racial disparities, including shorter sentences for low-level drug crimes and a shift in government funding from prisons to crime prevention.
As attorney general, Harris has taken actions conservatives would no doubt take issue with during a Senate confirmation hearing, should one ever occur: She refused to defend Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that outlawed same-sex marriage in California until the U.S. Supreme Court found it unconstitutional. Harris defended a state law that required members of public employee unions to help pay for collective bargaining. A case challenging those requirements — Friedrichs vs. California Teachers Assn. — is pending in the Supreme Court and could yield a 4-4 decision in Scalia’s absence. Harris, who has been supported politically by the California Teachers Assn., appealed a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge’s ruling in the case of Vergara vs. California, which threw out the state’s tenure process for grade school teachers. Harris criticized a federal appeals court for rejecting Obama’s executive actions on immigration, a case that is also pending before the Supreme Court.
Harris has brushed aside the speculation, although questions about the issue will follow her during her ongoing campaign for U.S. Senate ahead of California’s June 7 primary. “While the attorney general is honored to be mentioned in these conversations, she’s committed to her current job and continuing her fight for California families in the U.S. Senate,” campaign spokesman Nathan Click said Monday. Harris declared: “I am running for Senate.”
Former Indian American Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is endorsing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for president. Rubio campaign adviser Todd Harris confirmed the endorsement Feb. 5. It was the second from a former GOP presidential candidate for Rubio last week.
Rubio is trying to seize on a better-than-expected third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses as he sprints across New Hampshire ahead of this week’s first-in-the-nation primary. Rubio was addressing an audience of more than 700 before the confirmation that Jindal had offered his support. Jindal was a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination from last June until November.
In other news from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, AP reports that when Jindal exited the governor’s office, he left behind a string of IOUs for his economic development deals, at least $155 million of which could come due during the next four years of Governor John Bel Edwards’ term.
The former governor made commitments for incentive payments and construction projects tied to various business deals, without providing money to cover those long-term costs. Instead, Edwards inherited a budget awash in gaps and depleted savings accounts — on top of the obligations to which his predecessor committed the state.
Governors regularly make commitments to companies beyond their terms, leaving their successors to pick up the remaining tab. But Jindal’s obligations come as Edwards, a Democrat who took office earlier this month, grapples with the state’s deepest financial crisis in nearly 30 years.
In the upcoming 2016-17 budget year, the Edwards administration will owe an estimated $50 million to companies from Jindal’s economic development deals, about $11 million from the state construction budget and another $39 million in direct cash from the general fund.
That doesn’t count spending from any tax break programs through which companies in Louisiana can lessen what they owe the state. “Obviously, there have been commitments made that take a huge chunk of general fund dollars to satisfy,” said Edwards’ chief financial adviser, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne. “We’re going to satisfy contractual obligations that we have to.”
Jindal invested a strong focus on drawing business to Louisiana, and he announced a string of projects over his eight years in office. The Republican counted among his biggest achievements $62 billion in economic development wins estimated to create tens of thousands of jobs.
Those deals are estimated to cost more than $344 million in incentive and construction payments for Jindal’s successors, with commitments that run until 2030, according to data provided to The Associated Press shortly before Jindal left office.
With increased stereotyping and hatred towards Muslims around the world, President Obama advocated religious tolerance and unity. During his first ever visit to a mosque in the United States on February 3, President Barack Obama joined Muslim Americans from around the nation at the Islamic Society of Baltimore, Maryland, and said: “We’re one American family. And when any part of our family starts to feel separate or second-class or targeted, it tears at the very fabric of our nation.”
Obama noted that violence against the Muslim American and Sikh American communities has surged in the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks last November – in which extremists affiliated with the Islamic State killed 183 people – and the San Bernardino shootings in December, when a Muslim American couple killed 14 people at a rehabilitation center for handicapped people.
“I know that in Muslim communities across our country, this is a time of concern and, frankly, a time of some fear. Like all Americans, you’re worried about the threat of terrorism,” said the president, who removed his shoes before entering the mosque, in deference to Islamic custom. “But on top of that, as Muslim Americans, you also have another concern – that your entire community so often is targeted or blamed for the violent acts of the very few,” he said.
“I’ve had people write to me and say, ‘I feel like I’m a second-class citizen.’ I’ve had mothers write and say, ‘my heart cries every night,’ thinking about how her daughter might be treated at school. A girl from Ohio, 13 years old, told me, ‘I’m scared.’ A girl from Texas signed her letter ‘a confused 14-year-old trying to find her place in the world,’” said Obama.
“These are children just like mine. And the notion that they would be filled with doubt and questioning their places in this great country of ours at a time when they’ve got enough to worry about — it’s hard being a teenager already — that’s not who we are.”
Obama stated that hate crimes must be reported and punished. He encouraged the community to speak out against hateful rhetoric and violence against any faith, and to reject religious extremism.
The president rejected the notion that America is ‘at war with Islam’, stating: “We can’t be at war with any other religion, because the world’s religions are a part of the very fabric of the United States, our national character. And we can’t suggest that Islam itself is at the root of the problem. That betrays our values. It alienates Muslim Americans.”
Muhammed Ahmed Chaudhry, CEO of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, and a volunteer with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, joined Obama on his visit to the Baltimore mosque. Chaudhry is reported to have told the media that after the visit that he had been invited to the White House for dinner with the president last year and had encouraged him to visit a mosque.
Chaudhry said it was heartwarming to see the president remove his shoes before entering the mosque. “It showed respect and true leadership,” he said. The visit to the mosque was a great symbolic way for the president to highlight the Muslim American community’s positive contributions to the U.S.
According to reports, half of Americans say the next president should be careful not to criticize Islam as a whole when speaking about Islamic extremists, while four-in-ten want the next president to speak bluntly about Islamic extremists even if the statements are critical of Islam as a whole. A new Pew Research Center survey finds that blunt talk is preferred by two-thirds of Republicans and those who lean toward the Republican Party (65%), while seven-in-ten Democrats and independents who lean Democratic express the opposite view, saying the next president should speak carefully about Islamic extremism so as not to criticize Islam as a whole.
While many Americans are concerned about Islamic extremism, the new survey shows that most people think the problem with violence committed in the name of religion is people rather than with religion per se. Indeed, fully two-thirds of Americans say the bigger problem is that some violent people use religion to justify their actions (68%). Only about a fifth (22%) say the bigger problem is that the teachings of some religions promote violence.
Obama’s call for tolerance and unity have been criticized by some. Trump chided Obama for the mosque visit. “He can go to lots of places. I don’t know, maybe he feels comfortable there,” Trump told Fox News. Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio also lashed out against Obama’s mosque visit, criticizing the president for “pitting people against each other.”
“He’s basically saying that America is discriminating against Muslims,” said Rubio during a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, acknowledging that there was discrimination, but radical Islam is a bigger threat.
In fact, Obama’s words, in fact, bore a close resemblance to President George W. Bush’s remarks after 9/11, when he called Islam a religion of peace and criticized discrimination and attacks against American Muslims. Why were those 2001 comments by a Republican president welcomed, while Obama’s very similar comments today were not? Part of it is surely partisanship. But Americans have also become less and less accepting of Islam. When PRRI asked the same question in 2011, for example, just 47 percent of Americans agreed that Islam was incompatible with American values, and 48 percent disagreed.
“Three weeks after 9/11, an ABC News poll found that Americans had a more favorable view of Islam than unfavorable, 47 percent to 39 percent,” notes Shibley Telhami of the Brookings Institution. “But a decade later, the picture changed dramatically. A poll I conducted in April 2011 showed that 61 percent of Americans expressed unfavorable views of Islam, while only 33 percent expressed favorable views.”
“The president’s first visit to an American mosque is a significant step in the right direction and will hopefully encourage our nation’s political and religious leaders to join him in pushing back against rising Islamophobia,” said Council on American Islamic Relations Maryland outreach manager Zainab Chaudry, who was invited to the president’s visit to the mosque.
“We welcome President Obama’s historic visit and applaud his remarks both rejecting anti-Muslim rhetoric and reminding our fellow Americans about Islam’s long history in our nation and about constitutional protections guaranteeing religious freedom,” said CAIR national executive director Nihad Awad.
The historic 45-minute speech at a large, suburban Baltimore mosque was attended by some of the country’s most prominent Muslims. In what appeared to be a counter to the rise in Islamophobia, Obama celebrated the long history of Muslim achievement in American life from sports to architecture and described Muslims as Cub Scouts, soldiers and parents, pointing out the mother of the pre-med college student who introduced him at the podium.
Obama’s visit is likely to be compared with a landmark speech to the Islamic world early in his presidency. At Cairo University, Obama in 2009 called for a “new beginning” between the Islamic world and the United States, noting shared interests on issues such as extremism but also acknowledging mistakes made over centuries by all societies in the name of culture and faith.
Congressman Ami Bera, D-California, the only Indian-American on Capitol Hill is facing an roadblock from within the Democratic Party with the local activists not giving the District 7 representative, the majority needed for an unqualified endorsement.
Bera’s votes on issues such as Syria refugees and trade are coming under intense examination as local Democrats debate withholding endorsement from him in his re-election race against Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, a Republican. This Jan. 31 shortfall in support came on the heels of a rejection from his hometown activists at the Elk Grove-South County Democratic Club, opposed him as a choice for the Democratic ticket.
The Congressman who represents District 7, met activists at a regional endorsement party in Sacramento Jan. 31, where he secured only 61 percent of the vote instead of the 70 percent which would have put him over the top for being the nominee. Thirty nine percent opposed him.
Bera is campaigning for his third term in Congress to represent CD-7, a district comprised of portions of Sacramento, Elk Grove and Folsom. His chief opponent is Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, a Republican.
The backlash against Bera has come primarily from labor groups, who oppose the congressman’s vote supporting the Trans Pacific Authority bill, which gives the president “fast-track” latitude to create trade treaties with other countries without Congressional oversight. A total of 160 Democrats in the House voted against TPA in June 2015. The measure passed 218 to 208.
Many members of the Sikh American community in Sacramento also opposed Bera during the 2014 election cycle for his failure to recognize the 1984 anti-Sikh riots – after Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination – as “genocide.”
Community activists have also opposed Bera for his vote supporting HR 4038, which would prevent any refugee from Syria or Iraq from entering the U.S. until the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence certify that they are not dangerous.
Alex Gilliland, Bera’s communications director in Washington, D.C., explained to India-West that if Bera had received 70 percent or more of the vote, he would have automatically received the endorsement. “While he did not get 70 percent of the vote, he got over 50 percent so he moves forward in the endorsement process and is confident he’ll get the party’s endorsement on Feb. 28,” she said. Gilliland also said that Bera has not yet announced his position on the Trans Pacific Partnership; he is waiting for a key report which will be released in May, she said.
“Congressman Bera voted to remove labels from foreign meat, to ban state protections on genetically-modified food, and to condemn President Obama,” said Amar Shergill, a local attorney and delegate, in a press statement. “It is a sad truth that when Congressman Bera is under pressure, he votes with Republicans to benefit multinational corporations at the expense of local families. “We are very concerned that he is under the influence of those that care more about overseas investments than American jobs,” added Shergill.
Robert Longer, a California Democrat and union political director, has been a supporter of U.S. Rep. Ami Bera since Bera’s first election campaign. He’s walked door-to-door with Bera to drum up votes, and he hosted a fundraiser for Bera at his Elk Grove home. But disillusion began to set in in June, when the second-term Democratic congressman broke with his party to vote for a trade bill fiercely opposed by labor unions.
“It kind of opened up the door to a lot of scrutiny and looking at his record, which maybe some folks didn’t really do before that,” said Longer, the legislative-political director for Communications Workers of America Local 9421. “Once folks did, myself included, we saw a lot of things that we didn’t like.”
Bera, whose last two term victories have been won on extremely slim margins in one of the costliest races in the country, is now looking to get his endorsement at the state Democratic Party Convention scheduled for Feb. 28. Since he was elected four years ago, Bera has been a target for Republicans trying to gain a seat in a district that is about evenly split between the two parties. Republicans are gleeful about this setback.
Dissatisfaction with Bera’s vote for the controversial Trans Pacific Partnership, a trade deal with Asian countries led by President Obama, has upset labor groups; and his stand on limiting refugees from Iraq and Syria has put him on the wrong side of many Democrats.
Bera will step up his efforts aiming to get the okay at the state party convention where regional clubs and other local groups are not invited and voting is conducted through delegates and proxies.
Responding to the loss of support from within Democratic ranks, Bera had said during a visit to India late December that “My job is to serve my district and to address the issues that matter to residents. Washington is broken and I firmly believe that we must work together, across the aisle, to get things done and I will continue to do that.” If he wins the nomination, Bera will be running against Republican Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones.
NASHUA, N.H. — The absence of a clear political triumph in Iowa put both Democratic candidates in unexpected positions coming into New Hampshire. Hillary Clinton is digging in for a tough fight against Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont in next week’s primary in New Hampshire, according to her advisers. Clinton is trying to spark political momentum and fund-raising energy after only a razor-thin victory in the Iowa caucuses. Things have come a long for the former First Lady, who once was considered a sure winner, goes to New Hampshire trailing behind her rival by at least 20 points, and especially after a razor thin victory in Iowa.
The Clinton campaign had considered shifting its focus to Nevada and South Carolina, which hold nominating contests later in February. But Clinton, with the strong support of former President Bill Clinton, decided she would help herself more by closing the gap in New Hampshire, where polls show Sanders with a double-digit lead. The Clintons even hope she might pull off an upset win here, as she did in 2008, given their long history of campaigning in the state. “This is going to be a great week of campaigning,” Clinton said.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton
For the Clintons, the New Hampshire primary holds an emotional attachment. It is the state that made Bill Clinton the “Comeback Kid” after he overcame scandal to place second here in 1992. Hillary Clinton said she “found my own voice” in New Hampshire in 2008 with a surprise victory here after finishing third in Iowa.
Some analysts say, the uncertain outcome in Iowa dealt a jolting psychological blow to the Clinton campaign, leaving volunteers, donors and aides confused throughout the night, and then crestfallen. Hillary Clinton urged the voters who gave her a surprise win in 2008 to get behind her again. “New Hampshire, come with me this week,” she told the crowd in Nashua just before The Associated Press called the Iowa race. A woman shouted, “We are!”
According to reports, Sanders and his team are said to be making plans to spend more than $1 million on television commercials in an attempt to solidify his advantage. He also drew about $3 million in donations in the 24 hours after his caucus speech Monday night, his campaign said; with $28 million on hand, compared with Mrs. Clinton’s $38 million, Sanders advisers expressed confidence that he would not stumble like other insurgent presidential candidates of the past.
Sanders had hoped to unnerve Clinton by eking out a win in Iowa, and instead found himself trying to spin gold out of his “virtual tie” with her in the caucuses. Yet he and his advisers welcomed the sudden prospect of increased competition from Clinton here because it played into the expectations game as the Sanders campaign would like to play it.
Bernie Sanders
The Clinton campaign has already sought to dismiss any potential victory by Sanders here as irrelevant, given the state’s history of rewarding candidates from New England. “I know I am in a contest with your neighbor,” Mrs. Clinton saidTuesday night in Hampton, N.H. “We are in his backyard.”
Sanders has vowed to campaign hard across New Hampshire and said that as in Iowa, his campaign would focus on getting supporters to the polls on election night. “Secretary Clinton won here in 2008,” he told a group of reporters in Keene after a rally. “Secretary Clinton has a very formidable political organization and, as you know, has virtually the entire political establishment on her side. So, you know, we are taking nothing for granted.”
The 2016 presidential nomination process officially got underway tonight, and Ted Cruz was the big winner. In first-in-the-nation caucuses in Iowa, Hawkeye State voters chose Cruz over the other leading GOP candidates, Donald Trump and Marco Rubio. Charles Krauthammer said that the Iowa caucus was a major inflection point on the Republican presidential campaign, as it punctured the aura of invincibility surrounding Donald Trump. “Had Trump won, it would have reinforced the sense of inevitability, the momentum he had,” Krauthammer explained. “This is the first time he’s encountered defeat.”
The days after the Iowa Caucus, where the front runner Trump lost to Ted Cruz and Rubio came a very close third, the Republican presidential contenders were attacking a young freshman Cuban-American senator who came away from the Iowa caucuses with a strong result that has given him momentum ahead of the New Hampshire primary on February 9. Yet they were not referring to Ted Cruz, the Texas senator, who cruised to victory on Monday, but Marco Rubio, the Florida senator, who came third.
Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz – were at the No. 2 and 3 spots in the GOP nomination race nationally, albeit with a sizable gap behind the frontrunner Donald Trump. While Rubio poses a threat to Cruz and Trump, whom he almost beat in Iowa, he poses a bigger immediate obstacle to other right-of-centre establishment Republicans who are banking on a strong performance in New Hampshire to catapult their struggling campaigns into the top tier.
On the campaign stump, the 44-year old son of Cuban immigrants whose life epitomises the American dream sells himself as a “generational choice” who can beat either Hillary Clinton, 68, or Bernie Sanders, 74, in the general election.
Cruz and Rubio are Cuban Americans. Rubio’s grandfather remained in the U.S. despite a removal order and his parents arrived separately in the 1950s. Cruz’s father came to the U.S. and then moved to Canada, where Cruz was born; his mother was an American citizen. The attacks against Rubio has gtrown stronger ever since his surprise good performance in Iowa.
“This isn’t a student council election, everybody. This is an election for president of the United States. Let’s get the boy in the bubble out of the bubble,” snarked Chris Christie. He was referring to Rubio’s tendency to be rather scripted in his appearances — one New Hampshire reporter compared him to “a computer algorithm designed to cover talking points.”
Christie, pressing further — and when does Chris Christie not? — has also been saying that the speech Rubio sticks to is the same one he’s been giving since 2010. It’s true that there’s always the part about his parents, the striving Cuban immigrants. And you do get the feeling you’re supposed to vote for him because his dad and mom believed in the American dream.
As a young man, Rubio himself was not particularly hard working. In fact, in his memoir he admits he could be “insufferably demanding.” But he did sympathize with his parents’ struggles, and when his father, a bartender, went on strike in 1984, young Marco became “a committed union activist.”
According to reports, Rubio was a slow starter, education-wise, but he eventually graduated from law school, saddled with a load of student debt. This is, as he always points out, a familiar American story. The next part, where he instantly runs for office and acquires a billionaire benefactor who helps him out by underwriting low-stress jobs for Rubio and his wife, is slightly less average.
On the issues, Rubio says he has a new generation’s answers to the nation’s economic problems. The answers are mainly about reducing business taxes and regulations, but he says it in a much more youthful way. He’s anti-choice, even for victims of rape and incest. Lately, he’s taken to pointing to instances when he supported legislation that did include an exception. This is true. As long as a bill makes it harder for women to have access to abortion rights, he’s there.
He becomes one of the famous bipartisan “Gang of Eight” pushing for immigration reform. Rubio is a valuable partner for the Gang, and he makes them pay with repeated concessions, including a very strong provision for additional border security. Finally, the path-to-citizenship bill passes the Senate 68 to 32. “We are a compassionate people,” he says on the Senate floor.
In the competition with the other super-conservative Cuban-American contender, Ted Cruz, Rubio is regarded as more likable. This is not a heavy lift. He is also competing with Cruz for the affection of Christian conservatives, and while Rubio has always mentioned God in his political speeches, lately he’s been ramping things up. One of his ads in Iowa was about “the free gift of salvation offered to us by Jesus Christ.”
The immigrant presidential contenders are fighting to win the Hispanic voters in the nation, which is very crucial to win the general election. Their efforts to paint the other as not tough enough on immigration showed how far to the right the discussion on immigration has shifted, to a point that the Gang of Eight immigration reform plan Rubio once supported is completely off the table, said Stella Rouse, director of the Center for American Politics and Citizenship at the University of Maryland. “That’s not even part of the Republican discussion of what can be accomplished,” Rouse said.
Cruz called the bipartisan Gang of Eight bill, passed by the Senate in 2013 and that included a series of steps over the years that led to applying for citizenship, a “massive amnesty plan.” “He was fighting to grant amnesty and not to secure the border. I was fighting to secure the border,” Cruz said.
Cruz’s campaign chairman told a group of GOP Hispanics that Cruz wants to be the champion of legal immigration. He also told them that Cruz supports “attrition through enforcement” for people not legally in the country, a phrase that the group interpreted as self deportation. “I have never supported legalization and I do not intend to support legalization,” Cruz said in the debate. Princeton University political scientist Ali Valenzuela said Rubio is in a better position than Cruz to take a moderate stance on immigration – as well as other issues – that might appeal to Latino voters in the general election. Rubio talked about immigration in a way that sounded “sincere” and “heartfelt” like he knew what he was talking about,” Valenzuela said.
“Immigration is not an issue that I read about in the newspaper or watch a documentary on PBS or CNN,” Rubio said in the debate. “My family are immigrants. My wife’s family are immigrants. All of my neighbors are immigrants. I see every aspect of this problem. The good the bad and the ugly,” he said.
The Republican establishment is thrilled: A moderate-sounding Gen X senator from a swing state! And one so good at spin he managed to give a victory speech in Iowa after he came in third. No wonder all the other candidates are jealous.
Washington State Senator Pramila Jayapal has declared her intention to run for the U.S. Congress on January 21st. In her announcement, she declared that she wants to be the voice of masses left behind by the concentration of wealth in the hands of 1 percent.
Describing herself as a “bold, progressive fighter,” Jayapal announced she is running for the Democratic primary scheduled for March 26. She hopes to replace long time Congressman Jim McDermott who is vacating the District 7 seat that leans Democratic.
Jayapal faces off against at least two other Democratic aspirants who have declared so far: King County Council Chair Joe McDermott and State Rep. Brady Walkinshaw. The news outlet Seattlepi.com reported Walkinshaw already has some $300,000 in his campaign coffers and has bagged some key endorsements from leaders in the LGBT community and among environmentalists, as well as some long-time party activists.
Jayapal was elected to the state Senate in 2014, from the 37th Legislative District where she has lived for 20 years and which is one of the most racially and economically diverse districts in the state. But the U.S. Senate District 7 is an amalgam including some prosperous areas and Jayapal has her work cut out for her.
“I am a fighter not for the one percent, but for working men and women; not for austerity, but social security; not for deportations and breaking up families, but building stronger middle class families; not for prisons, but public education, college debt relief and criminal justice reform,” asserts Jayapal on her campaign website.
She is the second left-of-center politico thrown up by the Indian-American community in Washington state, the first being Seattle City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant, an avowed Socialist whom Jayapal has strongly supported in the past two years.
Jayapal notes in her speech that she stood up for Arabs, Muslims and Sikhs after 9/11 “when few people would.” She attacked Republican frontrunner in the presidential primaries, Donald Trump for “whipping up hate and fear across the country, resulting in a rise in anti-Muslim violence.” She called for protecting Planned Parenthood.
“I’ve been on picket lines and at negotiating tables with numerous labor unions for more than a decade. And I’ve helped bring movements together—labor and community, gay, women and immigrant,—so that we can expand ourselves and see our intersections,” said Jayapal.
Sounding very much like Sawant, Jayapal said, “I’m running for Congress because our system is rigged for corporations and the wealthy, but we can fight back.” Jayapal said. Her core issues are raising the minimum wage, expanding Social Security and Medicare, and ensuring debt-free college for young people across America. “I’m ready to take on the powerful, while organizing inside, outside and in-between the two,” she said.
Jayapal came to the U.S. at the age of 16, sent by her parents to study at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. “My parents took all the money they had, which was about $5,000 at the time, and used it to send me here to this country because they believed that this was the place I would get the best education and have the brightest future,” she said. After graduating, she worked on Wall Street as a financial analyst, also getting an MBA from Northwestern University. After a few years she quit the private sector to work on social justice issues advocating for women and immigrants and civil and human rights.
She is credited with leading one of the largest voter registration efforts in Washington state, which is said to have got more than 23,000 new Americans to register. Jayapal pushed for setting up the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs in Seattle and was co-chair of the Seattle Police Chief Search panel.
She is the founder of OneAmerica, (previously called Hate Free Zone), Washington state’s largest immigrant advocacy organization, and lobbied hard for the passage of President Obama’s 2014 Dream Act that enabled children of illegal immigrants to find a path to legal status.
In May 2013, she was recognized by President Obama as a White House “Champion of Change.” She lives in Columbia City with her son and husband, and has another grown stepson who lives in Colorado.
With the Republican Presidential Candidate leading the GOP polls across the nation, a group called “Indian-Americans for Trump 2016” registered with the Federal Election Commission as a political action committee, has been on January 21st. The group hopes to garner the support of Indian Americans to elect Donald Trump as the next president of the United States.
The group’s president, A.D. Amar, a business professor at Seton Hall University, told the media that discussions about the PAC first started in December. “I was surprised at the strength Trump had among the Indian professionals and Indian community,” he said. “I have never seen Indians so united behind a candidate.”
The group of Indian-Americans which believes New York billionaire Donald Trump is the answer to America’s perceived ills, both domestic and international, will work to muster funds and advocate for GOP support for the controversial Republican frontrunner to become the next President of the United States.
Among the numerous candidates in the field including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Senator Ted Cruz, cardiologist Ben Carson, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, this group of Indian-Americans believes Trump has his finger on the pulse of the American people and a proven record that makes him the best one to lead the country.
New York-based attorney Anand Ahuja will serve as vice president and Devendra “Dave” Makkar will be treasurer, according to a press release issued by the organization. New Jersey local news publisher Sudhir Parikh will be chair of the fundraising and advisory committee.
In the press release, the PAC said, “The officers of the Indian-Americans for Trump 2016 urge all Americans to join in the effort and support Donald Trump in his endeavor to make America great again by electing him the next President of the USA.”
Amar cited Trump’s stances on illegal immigration and the economy as key factors for the group’s support of him. He also said that the group’s members were drawn to the fact that Trump has said he will not be taking money from PACs or special-interest groups. “Trump is going to keep the lobbies out, and he is going to focus on the general population,” Amar said.
Trump has proclaimed he does not take money from PACs. Amar said the new PAC was established to raise funds to carry out a grassroots campaign. “We will be building chapters around the country starting with Washington, D.C., California, and New York City, to get support from Americans, particularly Indian-Americans.”
What attracts Amar and the other founders of the PAC to Trump is his policies and pronouncements on illegal immigration and the economy. “In my 44 years in America, amnesty has been given to illegals two or three times, and yet the number is growing,” Amar said. “Trump is right when he says ‘You go back, apply, and we will process you” and that is the right way.”
Amar believes the perceived difference between Trump’s style and his management will translate to a change after the election. “Our election process is kind of a revolution,” Amar said. “In a revolution, these kind of statements are not unexpected. In my observation, he is going to be a different person once he’s nominated.”
Washington, DC; January 24, 2016: With less than year of his presidency left, no one yet knows where the Obamas will head on January 20, 2017, when the next president is sworn in on Capitol Hill. The recent debate over where President Barack Obama will establish a library to house his official papers — a debate now settled in favor of Chicago — serves as a reminder that we’ll soon see the end of the administration and the launch of an Obama post-presidency.
The Obamas are attached to Chicago — the president launched his political career there as a community organizer and celebrated his landmark 2008 election win. Obama’s presidential library and foundation will also be based in the Windy City.
“All the strands of my life came together and I really became a man when I moved to Chicago,” Obama said last year when he made the announcement about the library site. “That’s where I met my wife. That’s where my children were born,” he explained. But so far, there is no clear sign that Chicago is the family’s next destination. “Chicago probably seems a bit too small for them now,” said Peter Slevin, a professor at Northwestern University in the Chicago suburbs and the author of “Michelle Obama: A Life.”
So what will life be like for Barack Obama after two terms at the White House? To judge by recent comments, Obama as an ex-president will end up reverting to his most successful political persona: an inspirational figure helping to guide America forward on painful, thorny issues of race and social justice.
Every time someone close to them shows interest in a lavish property in Palm Springs or Honolulu, the press speculates about a veiled investment for the First Couple. But so far, no dice. Nothing concrete has emerged.
The only hint given by the US president? He has said that family will be his priority. “They — and Michelle — have made a lot of sacrifices on behalf of my cockamamie ideas, the running for office and things,” Obama told ABC in 2013, referring to his daughters.
In early 2017, Malia — the Obamas’ older daughter — will be at university. Sasha, now at the private Sidwell Friends school in Washington, will have more than half of her high school studies ahead of her.
Slevin says that like Clinton, Obama could settle down in the New York. “Their friends are expecting the Obamas to live in Washington and then surely move to New York,” he told AFP.
“New York has much to offer them at a time when they would like to be a bit more anonymous than it is possible to be in Chicago.”
Michelle Obama, a trained lawyer, has repeatedly rejected the idea that she would enter politics as Clinton did following her eight years as first lady. “There are three things that are certain in life: death, taxes and Michelle is not running for president,” Barack Obama said a few weeks ago.
Obama, who enjoys writing, is expected to focus on the traditional — and lucrative — art of writing his autobiography in his post-presidency. “Memoirs have always been an acceptable means of making money and cashing in on the presidency,” says historian Mark Updegrove, who is the director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas.
Well-paid speaking engagements — at home and abroad — should pour in. “The question is how much you want to commercialize having been the commander-in-chief,” adds Updegrove, the author of “Second Acts: Presidential Lives and Legacies After the White House.”
Obama has said he hopes to work with minority youths in tough neighborhoods — where the dropout rate, unemployment and incarceration rates are higher than elsewhere — to give real meaning to the phrase “equal opportunity.”
While some former presidents of the White House have faded into the background, others have made a significant mark during their so-called second act. John Quincy Adams, who left office in 1829 after failing to win re-election, returned to Congress where he stayed until the end of his life, using his gift for soaring oratory to make the case against slavery.
William Howard Taft, who was president from 1909-1913, then became the chief justice of the US Supreme Court. Could Obama — a former president of the Harvard Law Review who will be 55 years old as he starts his post-White House life — be tempted by the high court?
“I think being a justice is a little bit too monastic for me,” he told The New Yorker in October 2014. “Particularly after having spent six years and what will be eight years in this bubble, I think I need to get outside a little bit more.”
The example of the two Democratic presidents before him — Carter and Clinton, who both launched foundations that are respected beyond America’s borders — could serve as a guide for Obama. Persistent rumors also suggest he could be interested in teaching courses at Columbia University in New York, where he studied in the early 1980s. “I love teaching. I miss the classroom and engaging with students,” he told The New Yorker.
Obama delivered one of the most important speeches of his career, a vintage performance that included emotional references to the President’s personal experiences and an explicit promise to keep working on the initiative after he leaves the White House in 2017.
“I grew up without a dad. I grew up lost sometimes and adrift, not having a sense of a clear path. And the only difference between me and a lot of other young men in this neighborhood and all across the country is that I grew up in an environment that was a little more forgiving,” Obama said. “This will remain a mission for me and for Michelle not just for the rest of my presidency, but for the rest of my life.”
Two protesters were removed Sunday, January 24th from a Donald Trump rally after holding up a banner that read “Stop Hate.” One of the protesters — Arish Singh, a Sikh-American man — responded to the incident on Sunday, tweeting, “I am not a Muslim. But you don’t have to be a Muslim to stand against anti-Muslim bigotry.” Singh and another man were escorted out of the rally in Muscatine, Iowa, as members of the audience chanted, “USA!”
The turbaned Sikh man was ousted out of Donald Trump’s campaign rally in US, after he interrupted the Republican presidential frontrunner’s speech by displaying a banner that read ‘Stop Hate’, the media reported.
The man, wearing a beard and bright red turban, tried to interrupt Trump’s speech when he was addressing a rally on Sunday in Muscatine High School, Iowa, a mid-western state of the US. The incident began as Trump was raging against “radical Islamic terror”, about the 9/11 terror attacks, and the San Bernardino shooting, a common theme in his speeches.
The Sikh protestor stood up and revealed a banner reading “Stop Hate”. Security officials soon escorted him out of the rally amidst chanting of “USA, USA, USA” by Trump’s supporters, reported abcnews.
“We have radical Islamic terror going on all over the place, all over the world, and we have a president that won’t say it,” Trump was quoted as saying at the rally. As the Sikh raised his banner, Trump waved his hand and said, “Bye. Bye. Goodbye.”
“He wasn’t wearing one of those hats, was he? And he never will, and that’s OK because we got to do something folks because it’s not working,” said Trump, pointing to the crowd and referring to the protestor.
In the last few months, before Trump takes the stage an announcement is read telling Trump’s supporters to “not harm a protestor” but instead to chant “Trump, Trump, Trump,” as an alert to security that a protestor has been spotted. The crowd roared Sunday after the protestor was escorted out and shouted “USA, USA, USA”.
Trump is campaigning in Iowa ahead of the next week’s crucial caucus. Latest polls showed that he has taken a lead over his nearest Republican rival Ted Cruz. Iowa Caucus on February 1 is considered crucial as it would set the trend for the rest of the presidential primaries over the next few months.
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton Jan. 7 courted Indian Americans and the larger group of Asian-American voters, telling members of the nation’s fastest growing racial minority that she disagrees with the “hateful rhetoric” of her Republican challengers.
“They forget a fundamental lesson about our great country,” she told several hundred people gathered in a hotel ballroom in suburban Los Angeles. “Being an open and tolerant society does not make us vulnerable. It’s at the core of our strength.”
Clinton’s campaign stop in the San Gabriel Valley, an enclave home to more than a half million Asian-Americans, marked the launch of her grassroots outreach to the growing pool of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, called “AAPI for Hillary.” Those voters have trended Democratic in recent presidential elections, though they are still considered up for political grabs. Their influence is considered critical in some swing states. California is not one of those, having voted for a Democrat for president every election since 1992.
Republicans suggested Clinton’s visit is more about raising campaign cash. “The reality is Democrats have long taken the AAPI community for granted, and Hillary Clinton will be no different,” said Ninio Fetalvo, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee.
Clinton made her appeal to Asian-American and Pacific Islander voters in a Southern California region where a number of cities are now majority Asian-American and store signs in Mandarin and Cantonese line the streets.
“Their party identity is not cast in stone,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, an Indian American professor of public policy and political science at the University of California, Riverside. “There’s still potential for persuasion there.”
In a half-hour speech, Clinton told constituents she would be the one to fix the nation’s broken immigration system, improve access to higher education, and increase wages — all issues considered top priorities for the Asian American electorate. She vowed to reduce the visa backlog and help unauthorized immigrants with deep community ties that “deserve the chance to stay.”
“Ultimately this is more than an economic or political issue,” she said. “It’s a family issue.”
Nearly 4 million Asians voted in the 2012 presidential election, a 547,000 increase over 2008. According to exit polls, nearly three-quarters of Asian-American voters favored President Barack Obama in the 2012 election. They comprised about 3 percent of the total electorate.
The Asian-American community has been the subject of relatively little discussion in the Democratic and Republican primaries.
PTI adds: The group, called “AAPI Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) for Hillary,” was launched in Southern California in the presence of a large number of Asian American leaders, including Indian Americans.
At the launch, Clinton pledged to address the concerns of the community, including those related to immigration and visas.
In her speech, Clinton pledged to work to reduce the backlog for family visas to reunite immigrant families.
“Applicants from the Asia-Pacific region make up about 40 percent of the family visa backlog. Some from the Philippines have been waiting for a visa for 23 years. If you’re a U.S. citizen and your brother lives in India, it will take at least 12 years just to get him a visa,” the former secretary of state said.
“We have got to do more to help the millions of people who are eligible for citizenship take that last step. I will work to expand fee waivers so more people can get a break on the costs. I will increase access to language programs to help people boost their English proficiency.
“I don’t want anyone who could be a citizen now to miss out on that opportunity,” she said.She also explained the reasons for her early outreach to the community.
“That is essential because right now, it’s one of the fastest-growing communities in this country, but it’s a community that votes at a lower rate than others,” Clinton said.
America’s ties to the Asia-Pacific region have always been important, but in the 21st century they will be absolutely vital, she said.
“I was very proud when my husband’s administration launched the first-ever White House initiative on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders,” she added.
The United States, she said, is a country built by the hard work of generations of immigrants and America is stronger because of its diversity and openness.
She also identified Donald Trump – the Republican presidential front runner – in her speech.
“I disagree with the Republican front-runner, Mr. Trump. See, I think America is great because generations of hardworking Americans have made us great. Our values and our ideals have made us great,” Clinton said.
“The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth. Period. It’s not even close,” President Obama said last on January 12, 2016, while delivering his eighth and final State of the Union address to the nation on Tuesday night. The address was both a victory lap, celebrating the accomplishments of the last seven years, and a condemnation of what President Obama perceives to be alarmist rhetoric being used on the campaign trail over the last several months. He said those who argue the economy is crumbling and foreign enemies are gaining ground are “peddling fiction” and full of “hot air.”
There were plenty of policy proposals for the coming year to deal with issues like education, medicine, immigration, gun violence, gender equality, and the minimum wage. But delineating those proposals was not the point of the President’s.
He recognized “four big questions” regarding the economy, technology, security and democracy that the United States still faces and urged Americans to continue to address these concerns after his presidential term ends. Still, the president expressed confidence in his achievements and asserted that “the state of our union is strong.”
Obama strongly, although implicitly, condemned the campaign rhetoric of Republican presidential candidates, including Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. However, he also vowed to work to mitigate the political divisiveness of today’s culture. “It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency – that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better. There’s no doubt a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide, and I guarantee I’ll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office,” said the president.
After explaining his vision of the future—one that is inclusive of all races and religions and free of vitriolic politics—President Obama laid out a list of everyday Americans who he says convince him that such a future is possible, from soldiers to students to young immigrants.
“That’s the America I know. That’s the country we love. Clear-eyed. Big-hearted. Optimistic that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word,” he said. “That’s what makes me so hopeful about our future. Because of you. I believe in you. That’s why I stand here confident that the State of our Union is strong.”
But there were lows, too. The most negative point occurred when President Obama conceded that al Qaeda and ISIL do pose “a direct threat” to US citizens. “[I]n today’s world, even a handful of terrorists who place no value on human life, including their own, can do a lot of damage,” he said. “They use the Internet to poison the minds of individuals inside our country; they undermine our allies.”
President’s address has drawn criticism from some. David French at the National Review argues that Obama’s reminders of the strength of the United States “inadvertently highlights one of his greatest failures.” He acknowledges that Obama’s statements that the U.S. has “the world’s strongest economy and the world’s strongest military” are true but explains that Obama is not the reason for these strengths. French says that Obama’s policies have actually led to increased threats from the Islamic State group, Libya and Iran.
President Obama emphasized the importance of unions in building a strong economy. “Middle-class families,” he declared, “are not going to feel more secure because we allowed attacks on collective bargaining to go unanswered.” Tuesday night’s address may not have been President Obama’s most hopeful, but it may be the most representative of his presidency—a presidency of peaks and valleys in which every success has been preceded and followed by a hard fought struggle. President Obama ended his speech by stating, “I stand here, as confident as I have ever been, that the state of our Union is strong.”
Raja Krishnamurthi’s Congressional bid appears to have gained momentum with the Indian American candidate for a seat from the state of Illinois after he has bagged endorsements from top U.S. lawmakers including the influential Nancy Pelosi. Krishanmoorthi, 42, is seeking to enter the House of Representatives from the eighth Congressional District of Illinois and has been endorsed by 16 members of Congress, including Pelosi and Congressman Jan Schakowsky. His immediate challenge is to get through the March 15 primary contest before the general election.
“Raja will bring to Congress a tireless work ethic and deep experience in the public and private sectors,” Pelosi, who is leader of the Democratic Party in the U.S. House of Representatives, said. “These qualities will enable him to pursue our common goal of fighting for progressive causes and strengthening and growing our middle class,” she said in a recent statement. “I strongly endorse Raja Krishnamoorthi because he is a true progressive and the best candidate to represent the working families in Chicago’s Northwest suburbs,” Pelosi had said.
Attorney and entrepreneur, Raja has also been endorsed by David Axelrod, former senior advisor to President Obama. In total, his campaign is supported by over 100 local and national leaders and organisations. Krishnamoorthi previously was the policy director and a senior advisor for Barack Obama’s 2004 US Senate campaign, and also served as an advisor to Obama’s 2008 Presidential campaign.
He served as Deputy Treasurer of Illinois from 2007-2009 under Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, and in 2010 ran for the Democratic nomination for Illinois State Comptroller, losing to David E Miller by less than one per cent of the vote. Born in New Delhi on July 19, 1973, his parents immigrated to Buffalo, New York when he was three months old.
Krishnamurthi currently serves as president of Sivananthan Labs and Episolar, Inc, small businesses that develop and sell products in the national security and renewable energy industries. He is a co-founder of InSPIRE, a non-profit organisation that provides training to Illinois students and veterans in solar technology, and was formerly Vice-Chairman of the Illinois Innovation Council, which promotes innovative technologies that support economic growth and job creation.
Early this month, Krishnamoorthi earned endorsement of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) International. The 8th District covers the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, and its eastern boundary includes portions of O’Hare airport.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) has been chosen by Republican leaders in Congress to give her party’s response to President Obama’s final State of the Union address, which he’s delivering to Congress on Tuesday, January 12th, 2016.
The prestigious invitation was the natural next step for a governor who earned national attention and applause for her handling of the aftermath of a mass shooting in her state this summer. For that, Haley topped the list for one of the most notable governors in 2015:
After an avowed white supremacist shot and killed nine black parishioners in a Charleston church this June, Haley handled her role as the state’s griever-in-chief with grace, choking up in an emotional speech soon after, and a few months later delivering a speech in Washington calling on the GOP to be more tolerant toward minorities.
But it was the way Haley forcefully put herself at the front of the charge to end displays of the Confederate flag on public property that won her the most praise. As presidential candidates appeared to hem and haw, Haley called for the state legislature to remove the flag from statehouse grounds — something it did shortly after. “I knew that it was giving a lot of people a pass to do what was right,” she told The Washington Post’s Abby Phillip.
Tuesday’s address is also a natural platform for Haley to try out for a job some in her party have considered her for: The GOP vice presidential nominee. For a few minutes Tuesday, she’ll be a voice for her party in a speech that is likely to have major electoral overtones. She’ll be drawing contrasts between Obama’s — and by extension, likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s — vision for America and the Republican vision, while attempting to make the case to the nation that Republicans should lead it instead.
This moment was a long time coming. Whispers of Haley’s national potential began the moment in 2010 that she came from relative obscurity to win a crowded primary — as an Indian American female state legislator who defeated three more-established white male politicians — and eventually become South Carolina’s first female and first minority governor.
Haley’s background already looked like a no-brainer to be a vice presidential short-lister for a party that badly wants to make inroads with women, minorities and younger voters: She is the daughter of Indian immigrants, and at age 43, she is the youngest current governor in the U.S., despite being in her second term.
Haley has got to tap into whatever poise and courage she summoned during the post-Charleston Confederate flag debate to help make Tuesday’s speech go smoothly. The eyes of the nation will once again be on her. And if she does well, they may be for the rest of the year.
The United States remains the world’s preeminent exporter of arms, with more than 50 percent of the global weaponry market controlled by the United States as of 2014. Arms sales by the U.S. jumped 35 percent, or nearly $10 billion, to $36.2 billion in 2014, according to the Congressional Research Service report, which analyzed the global arms market between 2007 and 2014.
Trailing the U.S. in weapons receipts is Russia, with $10.2 billion in sales in 2014, followed by Sweden with $5.5 billion, France with $4.4 billion and China with $2.2 billion, reports The New York Times.
The top weapons buyer in 2014 was South Korea, a key American ally, which has been squaring off with an increasingly belligerent North Korea in recent years. Iraq was the second biggest weapons buyer, as the country seeks to build up its military capacity following the withdrawal of the bulk of American ground troops there. Brazil was the third biggest buyer, primarily of Swedish aircraft.
Looking back into the year 2015, among the many things that has transformed the world, if there was one thing that stands out is the closest bond between India and the United States. Under the leadership of U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ties between the two greatest democracies have evolved into strong and productive.
A “budding bromance” between India and the U.S. or “Modbama” as Foreign Policy called it, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama, took their ties to a new high in the year gone by. The year began with Modi, once a persona non grata in the U.S., staging what was called a “diplomatic coup” with an invitation to Obama to be the first U.S. president to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day.
Beyond the symbolism, Obama’s “game changing” second visit to India in four years saw “Barack” warming up to Modi and sent what the U.S. called an “important message” to the world about their commitment to realise the full potential of India-U.S. relationship. The White House’s first National Security Strategy since 2010 reflected the changing relationship with Obama saying the U.S. was “primed to unlock the potential of its relationship with India” as part of its rebalance to Asia and the Pacific.
Nine months later, Modi returned the compliment with yet another hugely successful visit to the U.S. with a warm hug for Obama, a courtship with Silicon Valley and a love fest with the Indian diaspora. But even before Modi and Obama had their fifth bilateral meeting in New York, the two nations, at their first strategic and commercial dialogue, reached five key agreements.
Topping the list was a decision to step up their counter-terrorism efforts with Washington, for once, recognising the threat posed by South Asian terror groups, including Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba, responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, and the D company. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar ended the year on another high note. “Gelling well” with his U.S. counterpart Ashton Carter, they agreed to further expand their growing defence partnership to make it what Carter called an “anchor of global security.”
As Carter welcomed India’s rise in the Asia-Pacific region, the two countries committed to identify additional projects for possible co-development and co-production of high technology items. Meanwhile, Obama called his “friend and partner” Modi a couple of times on a new hotline, first to win his support for the Paris climate deal and then to thank him for India’s positive role in reaching the historic accord.
At his year-end victory lap, Obama highlighted American leadership in bringing China, India and Brazil on board for the Paris climate deal among his successes of 2015 from thawing relations with Cuba to halting Iran’s nuclear program. The White House also acknowledged India’s “substantial sacrifice” in backing the sanctions against Iran that helped Washington seal the deal with Tehran.
“President Obama and Prime Minister Modi have a very, strong and productive relationship, not just on climate change but broadly,” Todd Stern, the U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change said last week. “It was a quite extraordinary fact that within the space of four months there were two head of the state visits, one first to the United States in September of 2014 and then Prime Minister Modi invited the President to India just four months later in January,” the official said.
Thereafter the two leaders have been close communications with each other. “They met on the margins of the UNGA in New York and they met on the first day of the Paris meeting,” Stern said. According to Stern the meeting was a very warm and positive, cordial and detailed.
“In fact, they talked so long that – they were both supposed to go – and did go finally, but they were a little bit late to the announcement of this big Mission Innovation idea on R&D that both – well, the United States, India, China, many other countries ultimately were part of,” the U.S. official said. “So I think, that the call later, sort of more towards the end, was a check-in call to see how we were doing and to urge us all on together toward a successful conclusion. And I think it was done in that spirit, not in the spirit that there was some specific thing that had to be done before the agreement could get completed,” Stern said.
At the end of the election cycle in November next year, whosoever American voters choose as the new tenant of the White House next November, one thing is clear: Relations between India and the U.S. are poised for a take-off given solid bipartisan support for this.
Eight Indian Americans have been named “Hillblazers” by the campaign of presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., for raising at least $100,000 each for the Democratic frontrunner. Their names are prominently displayed on the election website of the Hillary campaign.
As per the list, updated Sept. 30, the Indian Americans Hillblazers are Ankit N. Desai, of Washington, D.C.; Shefali Razdan Duggal, of San Francisco; Raj Fernando, of Chicago; Frank Islam and Mahinder K. Tak, of Maryland; Deven J. Parekh, of New York; and Kamil and Talat Hasan, of California. It also has three Pakistani Americans as Hillblazers: Shaista Mahmood, of Virginia; and Asif Mahmood and Imaad Zuberi, both of California.
Since he decided to enter the race to become the next President of the United States, Jindal has done everything possible to position himself for a serious run at the White House. Jindal has been polling at or below 1 percent in each national poll conducted by various news media outlets across the nation.
However, after failing to receive the necessary 2.5 percent support in a CNN poll to achieve a spot at the national debate’s main stage Oct. 28, the Louisiana Indian American governor told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Oct. 20 he isn’t committed to attending the CNBC undercard debate. “We haven’t made a decision yet,” Jindal told Blitzer. “They still have the opportunity to do the right thing.”
A new poll out Monday, October 26th confirms that Ben Carson is topping Donald Trump in Iowa’s Republican caucuses — this time by 14 points. According to the Monmouth University poll released Monday, Carson is leading Trump 32% to 18% among likely Republican Iowa voters. In a Monmouth poll conducted in August, the two had been tied at 23%. The poll confirms a shift in the state identified by two other polls in the past week. In the Des Moines Register/Bloomberg poll, Trump was up 9 points, and Quinnipiac University showed him up 8 percentage points.
The poll had good news for other GOP candidates, as well. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has picked up 6 percentage points since August, to 10%. That’s good enough to tie for third place with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Jeb Bush has picked up three points to be in fifth place, at 8%. His favorability rates have also improved 8 points since August. On the other hand, Carly Fiorina’s post-debate bounce has seemingly ebbed, as she dropped from 10% in August to 5% in Monday’s poll.
Earlier this months, polls pointed to Donald Trump as their strongest general election candidate, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll that highlights the sharp contrast between the party’s voters and its top professionals regarding the billionaire businessman’s ultimate political strength. Seven in 10 Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters say Trump could win in November 2016 if he is nominated, and that’s the most who say so of any candidate. By comparison, 6 in 10 say the same for retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who, like Trump, has tapped into the powerful wave of antiestablishment anger defining the early phases of the 2016 contest.
Jindal, the first ever Indian American to be on the campaign mode, seeking to win the White House has been trailing behind almost all other Republican candidates. Jindal, in the CNN/ORC poll published Oct. 21, joined Jim Gilmore and George Pataki with less than 1 percent support. Four hundred sixty-five Republicans were polled. Those polled were asked who would be their first choice among the current GOP candidates and Jindal received an asterisk, or less than 1 percent support. When asked for their second choice, 1 percent of those polled said they would choose Jindal.
According to published sources, his record of good governance in his state is lackluster. He is described as a supporter of the rich. In his state, he was in favor of abolishing all corporate and personal income tax but in favor of raising the sales tax in order to make up for the loss of revenue to the state. His legislature wisely refused to go along with him for such regressive taxation.
Jindal refused to accept federal funding of $1.65 billion to expand Medicaid to the poor. He is pro-life and anti-abortion, and against same-sex marriage. He is against public funding of embryonic stem cell research. He favors the teaching of intelligent design in schools. He was against enforcing laws for the prevention of hate crimes in his state. His state ranked last for transparency in the United States.
Month after month, week after week, Gov. Bobby Jindal has been working to make himself relevant to the 2016 presidential election. Every week, Jindal made some (increasingly) desperate attempt for attention and relevance. On the rare occasion he made an appearance in Louisiana, he’s done everything possible to establish himself as a champion of “religious freedom.” He signed an executive order to give license to businesses to discriminate against same-sex couples. He’s even championed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would outlaw same-sex marriage.
As per media reports, despite having made a wreck of the state’s budget (including structural deficits for years), he’s also sold his soul to Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform. Although he has approved more than $700 million in tax increases, Jindal desperately wants GOP voters in Iowa and New Hampshire to see him as the candidate most violently against tax increases. According to CNBC’s guidelines, candidates need at least 2.5 percent on an average of NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, CNN and Bloomberg polls to qualify for the main stage event, debating to win the Republican presidential nomination.
A recent Pew Research Center study has predicted that Asian immigrants will surpass those of Hispanics by the year 2055 in the United States. The study, published Sept. 28, said that immigration in the U.S. has increased from 9.6 million in 1965 to 45 million this year. And by 2065, researchers said there will be roughly 78 million immigrants throughout the nation.
In the 50 years since 1965, America’s population growth was heavily weighted by new immigrants coming over with their children and grandchildren to the tune of 55 percent. In turn, the nation’s demographics have shifted.
In 1965, 84 percent of Americans were non-Hispanic white people. But by 2015, non-Hispanic white people accounted for 62 percent of the population. The Hispanic population in the nation, over that same time span, has grown from 4 percent to 18 percent. Likewise, the Asian population grew from 1 percent in 1965 to 6 percent this year.
The data reflects the change resulting from the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 when the U.S. swept away a national origins quota system that favored immigrants from Europe. It changed its focus to family reunification and skilled immigrants.
Pew’s researchers have determined that there will be another shift coming, but within the immigration population. While Hispanics have accounted for the largest percentage of the population among U.S. immigrants since the 1965 act, Asians will slowly overtake the lead in that category in the next 40 years. Currently 47 percent of immigrants are of Hispanic descent. Asian immigrants, which include Pacific Islanders, account for 26 percent in 2015.
While Hispanics will have a larger population for the considerable future, by 2055, researchers said, Asian immigrants will leapfrog Hispanics as the largest immigrant population in the U.S., at 36 percent to 34 percent. That percentage gap will grow by 2065 to a 7 percent margin with Asian immigrants totaling 38 percent of the population to Hispanics’ 31 percent.
In total population, Asians will account for 14 percent of America’s total population – those born in the U.S. and abroad – by 2065, up from the 6 percent in 2015. Meanwhile, by 2055, no racial or ethnic group will constitute a majority of the population. The non-Hispanic whites’ population in the country will be less than 50 percent by 2055 and is projected to be 46 percent by 2065.
The historic visit by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi to the United States last month has strengthened the bonds between India and the US, the two largest democracies of the world and opened up new avenues of co-operation, top American lawmakers have said.
“There are many different areas and sectors where the U.S. and India’s growing friendship will cover mutually beneficial ground. Prime Minister Modi’s second visit to the U.S. has allowed us to continue to strengthen those bonds and explore new opportunities for us to work together,” Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii, Tulsi Gabbard, said.
Gabbard is the first ever Hindu Congresswoman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She was among the top American lawmakers to have met Modi and attended his address to the community at SAP Center in San Jose, California. During her meeting with Modi, she and other members of Congress discussed plans to build U.S.-India relations and promote technology partnerships. “Prime Minister’s 2-day tour of Silicon Valley included meetings with technology executives who offered their ideas and assistance in bringing India fully into the digital world,” she said.
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, who also met Modi in San Jose, said Modi’s visit to Silicon Valley is symbol of the collaboration and cooperation between the US and India. “Innovation and entrepreneurship are values that both of our countries excel at and serve as a model for,” he said. Among the members of Congress who attended the event were the Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi; Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Ami Bera and George Holding, co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Indians and Indian Americans; Eric Swalwell; Mike Honda and Jim McDermott.
Congressman Matt Salmon said the India and the U.S. were natural partners. “Our growing cooperation on issues like counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, and maritime security is a positive development for the region and the world,” he said. “At the same time, our economic and commercial ties have not kept pace with our deepening political ties,” he said.
“I am pleased to support the elevation of commercial issues in the recently concluded first U.S.-India Strategic and Economic Dialogue and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the U.S., where he heard ideas first-hand from entrepreneurs and business leaders in Silicon Valley on how we might advance our economic relationship,” Salmon said.
Following her meeting with Modi over the weekend, Congressman John Garamendi said that he raised the concerns of about the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities in India with the Prime Minister. He is Sikh Caucus Co-Chair. “I appreciate that Prime Minister Modi gave me the opportunity to discuss these critical issues. Rest assured that he knows where I stand and that the message of my constituents was heard loud and clear,” he said.
Let’s pause a moment to thank an under-appreciated Congress for one of its great accomplishments: the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which turned 50 on Saturday. The law ended the era of race-based immigration, a quota system based on national origin that overwhelmingly favored white European immigrants.
If you have ever wondered how and why this country had to stop looking at itself as the America of the Disney movies of the mid-1960s — the ones with Fred MacMurray and Keenan Wynn, where everyone seemed to be white and Midwestern and the men wore bowties to supper — you can look to the 1965 law, also known as the Hart-Celler Act, which greatly widened the gateway to immigrants from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, among other places.
The White House was host to a citizenship ceremony today to celebrate Hart-Celler. The speakers included the historian Taylor Branch, who quoted President Johnson’s stirring words at the signing ceremony at the foot of the Statue of Liberty. The bill, Johnson said, corrected the “harsh injustice” of national-origins quotas, erasing “a cruel and enduring wrong in the conduct of the American nation.”
Mr. Branch said he counted himself among the historians who view Hart-Celler as “a third pillar of democratic fulfillment from the Civil Rights era, along with the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
He placed the bill on a long, slow timeline of American course-correction and self-improvement, a step forward for a country that had learned to turn away from white supremacy, the ownership of human beings and the subjugation of women and was now confronting the many varieties of legal and institutional discrimination and forced inequality.
Hart-Celler affirmed, Mr. Branch said, “that the United States is founded not on any language or ethnic identity,” but rather on the idealism embodied in its founding document’s first three words: “We the people.”
Speaking to the 15 newly sworn citizens in the room, Branch said, “You are a testament to that ideal.” He noted that the bill gets little attention, is misunderstood by many and scorned by some. “There is no Martin Luther King of immigration reform,” he said, “nor any landmark anniversary on par with Selma and the March on Washington.”
But you could say Hart-Celler’s landmark anniversary is the one held in the heart of every immigrant on the day he or she takes the naturalization oath, rejecting old allegiances and joining the citizenry, full-fledged and proud.
The United States has long been—and continues to be—a key destination for the world’s immigrants. Over the decades, immigrants from different parts of the world arrived in the U.S. and settled in different states and cities. This led to the rise of immigrant communities in many parts of the U.S.
The nation’s first great influx of immigrants came from Northern and Western Europe. In 1850, the Irish were the largest immigrant group nationally and in most East Coast and Southern states. By the 1880s, Germans were the nation’s largest immigrant group in many Midwestern and Southern states. At the same time, changes to U.S. immigration policy had a great impact on the source countries of immigrants. In 1880, Chinese immigrants were the largest foreign-born group in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada. But with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Chinese immigrants were prevented from entering the U.S. As a result, other immigrant groups rose to become the largest in those states.
Fifty years after passage of the landmark law that rewrote U.S. immigration policy, nearly 59 million immigrants have arrived in the United States, pushing the country’s foreign-born share to a near record 14%. For the past half-century, these modern-era immigrants and their descendants have accounted for just over half the nation’s population growth and have reshaped its racial and ethnic composition.
Looking ahead, new Pew Research Center U.S. population projections show that if current demographic trends continue, future immigrants and their descendants will be an even bigger source of population growth. Between 2015 and 2065, they are projected to account for 88% of the U.S. population increase, or 103 million people, as the nation grows to 441 million.
These are some key findings of a new Pew Research analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data and new Pew Research U.S. population projections through 2065, which provide a 100-year look at immigration’s impact on population growth and on racial and ethnic change. In addition, this report uses newly released Pew Research survey data to examine U.S. public attitudes toward immigration, and it employs census data to analyze changes in the characteristics of recently arrived immigrants and paint a statistical portrait of the historical and 2013 foreign-born populations.
Immigration since 1965 has swelled the nation’s foreign-born population from 9.6 million then to a record 45 million in 2015. The current immigrant population is lower than the 59 million total who arrived since 1965 because of deaths and departures from the U.S. By 2065, the U.S. will have 78 million immigrants, according to the new Pew Research population projections.
The nation’s immigrant population increased sharply from 1970 to 2000, though the rate of growth has slowed since then. Still, the U.S. has—by far—the world’s largest immigrant population, holding about one-in-five of the world’s immigrants.
Between 1965 and 2015, new immigrants, their children and their grandchildren accounted for 55% of U.S. population growth. They added 72 million people to the nation’s population as it grew from 193 million in 1965 to 324 million in 2015.
This fast-growing immigrant population also has driven the share of the U.S. population that is foreign born from 5% in 1965 to 14% today and will push it to a projected record 18% in 2065. Already, today’s 14% foreign-born share is a near historic record for the U.S., just slightly below the 15% levels seen shortly after the turn of the 20th century. The combined population share of immigrants and their U.S.-born children, 26% today, is projected to rise to 36% in 2065, at least equaling previous peak levels at the turn of the 20th century.
The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act made significant changes to U.S. immigration policy by sweeping away a long-standing national origins quota system that favored immigrants from Europe and replacing it with one that emphasized family reunification and skilled immigrants. At the time, relatively few anticipated the size or demographic impact of the post-1965 immigration flow. In absolute numbers, the roughly 59 million immigrants who arrived in the U.S. between 1965 and 2015 exceed those who arrived in the great waves of European-dominated immigration during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Between 1840 and 1889, 14.3 million immigrants came to the U.S., and between 1890 and 1919, an additional 18.2 million arrived.
After the replacement of the nation’s European-focused origin quota system, greater numbers of immigrants from other parts of the world began to come to the U.S. Among immigrants who have arrived since 1965, half (51%) are from Latin America and one-quarter are from Asia. By comparison, both of the U.S. immigration waves in the mid-19th century and early 20th century consisted almost entirely of European immigrants.
As a result of its changed makeup and rapid growth, new immigration since 1965 has altered the nation’s racial and ethnic composition. In 1965, 84% of Americans were non-Hispanic whites. By 2015, that share had declined to 62%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic share of the U.S. population rose from 4% in 1965 to 18% in 2015. Asians also saw their share rise, from less than 1% in 1965 to 6% in 2015.
The Pew Research analysis shows that without any post-1965 immigration, the nation’s racial and ethnic composition would be very different today: 75% white, 14% black, 8% Hispanic and less than 1% Asian. The arrival of so many immigrants slightly reduced the nation’s median age, the age at which half the population is older and half is younger. The U.S. population’s median age in 1965 was 28 years, rising to 38 years in 2015 and a projected 42 years in 2065. Without immigration since 1965, the nation’s median age would have been slightly older—41 years in 2015; without immigration from 2015 to 2065, it would be a projected 45 years.
By the early 20th century, a new wave of immigration was underway, with a majority coming from Southern Europe and Eastern Europe. By the 1930s, Italians were the largest immigrant group in the nation and in nine states, including New York, Louisiana, New Jersey and Nevada.
The composition of immigrants changed again in the post-1965 immigration era. By the 1980s, Mexicans became the nation’s largest immigrant group; by 2013, they were the largest immigrant group in 33 states. But other immigrant groups are represented as well. Chinese immigrants are the largest immigrant group in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Indians are the largest immigrant group in New Jersey. Filipinos are the largest immigrant group in Alaska and Hawaii.
Shashi N. Kumar, an Indian American has been named to two posts at the Maritime Administration. Currently the academic dean at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kumar will take on the roles of deputy associate administrator and national coordinator for the Maritime Education and Training at MARAD’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. At MARAD, Kumar is expected to lead the efforts in bolstering the country’s pool of merchant marines and help address the needs of state and federal maritime academies.
Dr. Shashi Kumar
“After serving at the United States Merchant Marine Academy since January 2007 as the academic dean and as interim superintendent three times, I am moving on to pursue other challenges,” Kumar said in a statement. Kumar is a graduate of the University of Ulster, Maine Maritime Academy and the University of Wales, Cardiff, the latter from which he earned his doctorate in applied economics.
He has been honored with a number of awards pertaining to his service and leadership over the years, and, in June, was named an honorary alumnus of USMMA. A member of several marine- and maritime-based organizations, Kumar got his start in the industry at Neptune Orient Lines Ltd. in Singapore as the company’s master mariner in 1979. After about seven years there, Kumar moved on to the Maine Maritime Academy where, from 1987 to 2007, he served as the founding dean of the Loeb-Sullivan School of International Business and Logistics. Kumar will be leaving USMMA this month.
Washington, DC: September 22, 2015: Describing Indo-US relationship into “a defining counter-terrorism partnership for the 21st century” India and the US have called on Pakistan to bring perpetrators of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks to justice on Tuesday in an India-US Joint Declaration on Combating Terrorism issued at the end of the first India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue that set the stage for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third summit with President Barack Obama next week.
Both the nations reaffirmed the commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms, which constitutes a profound threat to global peace and security, and to uphold our common values of democracy, justice, and the rule of law. They reaffirmed President Obama’s and Prime Minister Modi’s vision to transform the U.S.-India relationship into a defining counterterrorism partnership for the 21st century, while reiterating the threat posed by entities such as Al-Qa’ida and its affiliates, Lashkar-e-Tayibba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company, and the Haqqani Network, and other regional groups that seek to undermine stability in South Asia.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and US Secretary of State John Kerry, who led the dialogue, “reaffirmed the commitment of India and the United States to combat terrorism in all its forms,” the declaration said. Describing terrorism as “a profound threat to global peace and security, and to uphold our common values of democracy, justice, and the rule of law,” the declaration reaffirmed Obama and Modi’s “vision to transform the US-India relationship into a defining counterterrorism partnership for the 21st century.”
The declaration also “reiterated the threat posed by entities such as Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, Lashkar-e-Taeba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company, and the Haqqani Network, and other regional groups that seek to undermine stability in South Asia.” Calling on Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attack, Swaraj and Kerry strongly condemned the July 27, 2015 terrorist attack in Gurdaspur, Punjab, and August 5, 2015, attack in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir.
Swaraj and Kerry, the declaration said, had also commended the continuing efforts to finalise a bilateral agreement to expand intelligence sharing and terrorist watch-list information.
They also commended progress toward India’s entry into the US Department of Homeland Security Global Entry Programme and the inclusion of Mumbai in the Strong Cities Network, a forum to build sub-national resiliency against violent extremism,
Swaraj and Kerry also commended progress toward a Memorandum of Understanding between the Indian National Police Academy (Hyderabad) and the New York Police Department.
The proposed next meeting of the Homeland Security Dialogue will be held in early 2016.
The declaration also recognised the serious threat posed by ISIL/Daesh to global security and affirmed efforts to degrade and defeat this threat in accordance with the provisions of UN Security Council Resolutions. The declaration recalled the signing of the US-India Counter-terrorism Cooperation Initiative (CCI), establishment of the Homeland Security Dialogue in 2010, and several other joint initiatives.
It also reaffirmed their support for a UN Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism that advances and strengthens the framework for global cooperation and reinforces that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism. Swaraj and Kerry also commended the meeting of the US-India Terrorist Designations Exchange in July 2015 to strengthen cooperation on domestic terrorist designations. Also commended was the proposed next round of the Counter-terrorism Joint Working Group in early 2016.
Washington, D.C., September 21, 2015 – Kicking off the inaugural U.S.-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue and commemorating the 40th anniversary of the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), the annual USIBC Leadership summit featured addresses by Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, and other high-ranking officials from both governments and industry leaders.
Continuing the dialogue established by President Obama and Prime Minister Modi in the last year, Vice President Biden delivered an address highlighting the importance of the U.S.-India trade relationship and the U.S. commitment to growing bilateral trade to $500 billion over the next few years. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to the importance of building stronger U.S.-India ties and reinforcing India’s position as an ally in the region.
USIBC Chairman Ajay Banga – who is President and CEO of MasterCard – delivered the State of the Council address. “The eyes of history remain fixed on India and the United States as they move closer to ushering in what could be a whole new era. A new era for India. A new era for India-U.S. Relations. It’s a new era that could see global trade accelerate and increase with Indian membership in organizations like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum,” said Banga.
The summit welcomed addresses from Penny Pritzker, Secretary of Commerce, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State, Independent Charge, for the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy.
The summit also featured a panel discussion on “Why Make in India?” moderated by CNBC anchor Seema Mody, featuring Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Amitabh Kant; Emerson President Ed Monser; Chairman of HDFC Deepak Parekh and Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises Sunil Bharti Mittal.
Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
USIBC presented its prestigious Global Leadership Awards to Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, and Shobhana Bhartia, Chairperson and Editorial Director of HT Media, one of India’s largest publicly listed media companies. Both were honored for their contributions and commitment to driving a more inclusive global economy and for their roles as women leaders.
The awardees were introduced by Purna Saggurti, Chairman Global Corporate & Investment Banking, Bank of America Merrill Lynch who also serves as one of USIBC’s board of directors.
“These extraordinary leaders have made a lasting impact on their industries and on U.S.-India relations,” said Saggurti. “They have been a true inspiration to business and leaders across the globe and have raised the bar for all of us.”
“The USIBC plays a critically important role in strengthening the relationship between two great nations,” said Indra Nooyi. “There are tremendous opportunities ahead to work together in new ways that capitalize on our collective strengths and pave the way to shared prosperity for our countries, our companies and our citizens. PepsiCo is deeply committed to being part of this dialogue, and it is humbling to be honored at this year’s historic celebration.”
“As the representative of a media group that realizes the importance of looking at both India Shining, and the Other India to get a real picture of what is happening in our country, and as a woman leader in a nation where women are finally coming into their own, I am delighted to receive this award. Our two countries, both democracies, have a strong and free media and I see increasing opportunities for collaboration as media and technology companies from India and the U.S. navigate the evolving digital landscape,” said Shobhana Bhartia.
Renowned Indian-American artist, Natvar Bhavasr who is known for his abstract expressionism and “color-field” painting was awarded the Artistic Achievement Award. “My work aims to transcend boundaries and I am honored to receive this award that recognizes my Indian roots and my training in arts that took place in the United States. I would not be the artist I am today had it not been for the inspirations that have guided me in my absorbing the gifts offered by both cultures, my birthplace India and my half a century’s participation in the creative life of New York City,” said Natvar Bhavsar.
USIBC President Mukesh Aghi said, “In a world filled with complex security and economic challenges, the U.S.-India relationship matters more now than ever before. It is no surprise that Prime Minister Modi’s next stop is in Silicon Valley, the bedrock of entrepreneurship and innovation – those are the areas that will grow our economies, but also an area that requires strong talent and a continual commitment to foster a strong business environment. To achieve this end a crucial step is being taken to launch U.S. Business Centers in India to support the entry of U.S. small and mid-sized companies, universities, and skills’ providers into the market.”
Attending companies included leaders from MasterCard, PepsiCo, Bank of America, Boeing, American Tower Corp, Amway, Cigna, Dow, Pfizer, and UST Global.
President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to meet in New York later this month. Both are coming to the United Nations to address the General Assembly. Obama along with Vice President Joe Biden and several of his cabinet ministers, is set for a high-level engagement with the Indian leadership in a series of meetings later this month. This would be the highest level of engagement between the two countries since Obama’s trip to New Delhi in January to attend the Republic Day parade as the chief guest of Prime Minister Modi.
Officials had a hard time setting up the meeting on one of the busiest days for the American president, given his address to the U.N. General Assembly earlier that day. Modi, on the other hand, would be flying in from Silicon Valley on Sept. 27 after addressing Indian Americans at the SAP Center in San Jose.
While no official announcement has been made yet, the proposed meeting is a reflection of the seriousness and commitment of the two leaders to this bilateral relationship. Notably, in the January joint statement, the two leaders committed themselves for more regular meetings. The Modi-Obama meeting in New York would cap more than a week of high-level India-U.S. engagement, most of it in Washington.
It is believed that Biden is keen to be part of this engagement. It was Biden who, during a visit to India a few years ago, who set the ambitious goal of increasing bilateral trade from the current $100 billion to $500 billion per annum.
Therefore, it might not be surprising to learn that Biden is taking the lead once again when it comes to economic ties. Several cabinet-ranking officials, along with corporate leaders from both countries, are expected to be present at the 40th anniversary Leadership Summit of the US-India Business Council on Sept. 21.
Energy Minister Piyush Goyal and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzeker are among those confirmed to attend the event. The next day TERI North America is to host the 6th India-U.S. Energy Partnership Summit. However, the first ever India-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue, to be hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry at Foggy Bottom, is likely to be the center of attraction. While the dates of this dialogue have not been announced, it is expected to be held on September 22.
The decision to expand the India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue to a commercial one was taken during Obama’s January visit to India. Kerry, along with Pritzeker, would lead the U.S. delegation, while the Indian delegation would be led by Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Sitharaman.
Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar will be part of the Indian delegation. Indian Ambassador Arun K. Singh and his American counterpart Richard Verma are expected to be present.
Indian American Nikki Haley has said she will consider a vice presidential ticket next year if given a chance but is currently focused on her job as governor of the South Carolina. “If there is a time where a presidential nominee wants to sit down and talk, of course I will sit down and talk. But, you know, I am very aware you have 16 really great candidates, and that means you’re going to have 15 very good potential vice presidential candidates,” Haley, 43, told members of the National Press Club at a luncheon meeting here. Haley said she did not want to waste her time thinking about this now.
“I really don’t think about that. I want to keep my promise to the people of South Carolina, which is to make every day better than the day before it. If a nominee asks me to sit down, of course I’ll talk to them, and then we’ll go from there,” she said. “I’m going to let all of this play out. That’s what I care about. That’s what’s important to me. If there’s a time and place to think about it, we’ll do it then. But I’m not going to waste any energy on that now,” Haley said.
She said the people of the country are extremely frustrated right now with both Republicans and Democrats, because they have gotten so used to shouting and yelling that they have forgotten to listen. “All the people of this country want is action. That’s not too much to ask for. That’s what we were sent to our offices to do,” she said, adding that there is no accountability on any members of Congress or Senate to have to do anything.
“I think, as a public, we have to demand action. We can’t demand yelling. We can’t demand great speeches. We can’t demand quotes in the paper. We have to demand action, and you either deliver or you don’t,” she added. Responding to a question, Haley described Donald Trump – a frontrunner Republican presidential candidate – as a friend and a smart businessman.
“He’s been a supporter of mine, and I consider him a friend… He’s a smart businessman. He’s accomplished a lot during his career. It accomplishes nothing to get mad at anybody that criticizes you. So every time someone criticizes him, he goes and makes a political attack back. That’s not who we are as Republicans. That’s not what we do. That’s not what I want my South Carolinians to do. That’s not what I want us to do going toward,” Haley said.
“What Americans want to hear is policy. They won’t want to hear how someone offended you. They want to know they’re sending someone up to the White House that’s going to be calm and cool-tempered and not get mad at someone just because they criticize them. We would really have a world war if that happened,” she said.
The Post and Courier adds: One member of the media at the Press Club lunch that was high on Haley’s chances was syndicated conservative political columnist George Will. The positives he listed were that Haley isn’t really needed to win the South, since the region will go overwhelmingly Republican in 2016. Instead, he said, “she blunts the war on women” argument that Democrats have been tossing at Republicans. Also, “She’s fluent and articulate,” he said.
Haley broke little new ground in her hour-long appearance where she was introduced as an Indian American, 43 years old and the first minority and female governor in the state.
She told the audience about the state coming together after the Emanuel AME Church mass slaying and how the shooting of black motorist Walter Scott by a white North Charleston policeman didn’t lead to rioting like it did in Baltimore and Ferguson, Mo.
“Today there truly is a New South,” she said in her prepared speech. “It is different in many ways, perhaps most especially in its attitudes toward race. We are still far from perfect. We still have our problems. There’s still a lot more to do. But the New South, in many ways, is a place to look toward, rather than to look away from, when it comes to race relations and racial advancement.”
An estimated 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants lived in the U.S. in 2014, according to a new preliminary Pew Research Center estimate based on government data. This population has remained essentially stable for five years after nearly two decades of changes.
The recent overall stability contrasts with past trends. The unauthorized immigrant population had risen rapidly during the 1990s and early 2000s, from an estimated 3.5 million in 1990 to a peak of 12.2 million in 2007. It then dropped sharply during the Great Recession of 2007-09, mainly because of a decrease in immigration from Mexico.
The overall estimate has fluctuated little in recent years because the number of new unauthorized immigrants is roughly equal to the number who are deported, leave the U.S. on their own, convert to legal status, or (in a small number of cases) die, according to the Pew Research analysis. The new unauthorized immigrant total includes people who cross the border illegally as well as those who arrive with legal visas and remain in the U.S. after their visas expire.
Pew Research estimates that, since 2009, there has been an average of about 350,000 new unauthorized immigrants each year. Of these, about 100,000 are Mexican, a much smaller share than in the past. In the years leading up to the Great Recession, Mexicans represented about half of new unauthorized immigrants.
Due to the slowdown in new illegal immigration since the Great Recession, unauthorized immigrants are less likely than those in the past to be recent arrivals. The share of unauthorized-immigrant adults who have lived in the U.S. for a decade or more has nearly doubled, from 35% in 2000 to 62% in 2012, according to a Pew Research estimate released last year. Only 15% in 2012 had lived in the U.S. for less than five years, compared with 38% in 2000.
Because they are more likely to be long-term residents, unauthorized immigrants also are increasingly likely to live with children born in the U.S. Pew Research Center estimates that in 2012, 4 million unauthorized-immigrant adults, or 38%, lived with their U.S.-born children, either minors or adults. In 2000, 2.1 million unauthorized-immigrant adults, or 30%, lived with their U.S.-born children. (The total number of unauthorized immigrants with adult or minor children born in the U.S. may well be higher, as these figures do not count those whose children live elsewhere.) The Pew Research estimates are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey and American Community Survey, using the widely accepted “residual method.”
The unauthorized immigrant population estimate includes people who have been granted temporary relief from deportation under various federal programs. Last year, President Barack Obama took executive action to expand an existing program and establish a new one that would offer work permits and deportation relief to an estimated 5 million unauthorized immigrants. The actions – which are on hold because of a lawsuit by 26 states – would be open to unauthorized immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, or who are parents with a child who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, as long as they meet certain requirements.
The growing debate on the controversial issue of immigration has divided the nation as no other issue has in recent times. Republican presidential candidate Bobby Jindal, son of immigrant parents from India, says that immigrants who do not adopt American values represent an “invasion”. “Immigration without integration is not immigration; it’s invasion, he told ABC Sunday when asked about tough stances against illegal immigration taken by Republican front-runner Donald Trump and other party candidates.
“Look, as a child of immigrants, my parents have never taken this country for granted,” said the Louisiana governor who was born in the US three months after his pregnant mother came from India. Every single day they are grateful to live in the greatest country in the history of the world. And I think this election is largely about the idea and the idea of America is slipping away in front of us,” Jindal said.
“When it comes to immigration policy, what I’ve experienced and seen is that a smart immigration policy makes our country stronger; a dumb one makes us weaker. We’ve got a dumb one today,” he said. “Yes, we need to secure our border. Stop talking about it. I think we need to insist that folks who come here come here legally, learn English, adopt our values, roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
Pressed on what he meant by “adopt our values,” Jindal, who is currently 13th among 17 Republican candidates polling an average of 1.8 percent votes, said that the US must avoid what has happened in some European countries. “You’ve got second-, third-generation immigrants that don’t consider themselves part of those [European] societies, those cultures. We in our country shouldn’t be giving freedoms to people who want to undermine the freedom for other people,” he said.
“I think we need to move away from hyphenated Americans,” Jindal said taking up his pet theme. We’re not African-Americans or Asian-Americans, Indian-Americans, rich or poor Americans: we’re all Americans. And the reason this is so important: immigration without integration is not immigration; it’s invasion. My parents are proud of their Indian heritage, but they came here to be Americans and they love this country. They wanted to raise their children as Americans,” he said.
Republican voters appear to be warming to Trump’s unconventional and confrontational style. In Iowa, the first nominating state, Trump is the first choice among 23 percent of likely Republican caucus goers — jumping from 4 percent in May, according to a Bloomberg/Des Moines Register poll this weekend. In a surprising surge to second, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is polling at 18 percent.
Notwithstanding his 13th rank among 17 presidential hopefuls, Indian-American Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal has said he is the best Republican contender for the White House and is headed towards becoming party’s nominee. “I think after we get past this summer of silliness and insults, the voters are going to begin to look at who is prepared to do the job. Who has the intelligence, who has the courage, who has the experience? I believe I’m the candidate best able to do this job on the first day,” Jindal, 44, told ABC in an interview aired.
“Look I think I’m going to be the nominee. I think Donald Trump (the leading Republican aspirant) has done a great job tapping into the anger, the frustration that voters feel, not only with (US) President (Barack) Obama but with the Republican leadership as well,” he said. Dismissing that his campaign does not seem to be catching fire at all, he said, “I disagree with that. We’re seeing great momentum in Iowa. We’re seeing standing only crowds. What I see is that voters haven’t committed to any candidate yet. In Iowa, in these early states, they’re kicking the tires, they’re asking the tough questions. This is a wide open race. They certainly seem to be attracted to Donald Trump.” A two-term Governor of Louisiana, Jindal is currently ranked 13th among a crowded list of 17 Republican hopefuls.
Swati Patel, who became South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s chief of staff this month, remembers feeling like a “rare bird” while growing up in Anderson. Haley announced Aug. 26 that she has chosen Patel to replace James H. Burns as her chief of staff. Burns is returning to the Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough law firm where he was a partner before joining Haley’s team in 2014.
“I can’t think of anyone who is more widely respected or uniquely qualified to lead our team than Swati Patel,” said Haley in a statement issued by her office. “(Patel’s) steady leadership as legal counsel has strengthened our staff, guided our administration and helped us deliver results to the people of South Carolina — and, as chief of staff, Swati will keep that momentum going.”
Like Haley, Patel is an Indian American, the daughter of Indian immigrants. In the 1960s, her parents each came to Raleigh, N.C., where her father graduated from North Carolina State University with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He later worked at the Owens Corning and Bosch plants in Anderson.
Patel was 6 years old when her family moved to Anderson. At the time, she said, there were only about five Indian American families living here. “Growing up as the child of immigrants in the 1970s in a small town in South Carolina, you were definitely looked at as different,” said Patel, who attended Concord Middle School, McCants Middle School and T.L. Hanna High School.
“I never felt unwelcome or discriminated against,” she said. “People just didn’t know how to categorize me.” A University of South Carolina graduate, Patel, 44, is the wife of a Columbia physician and the mother of a 10-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter. Her younger sister is a pediatrician in Charleston. Patel has spent almost her entire professional career at the Statehouse complex in Columbia.
While in college, she was appointed to serve as a page by Alex Macaulay, a former state senator and retired judge from Walhalla. After receiving her law degree, Patel worked with legislative committees and the state Judicial Merit Selection Committee.
Patel has a decade of experience as an attorney in the governor’s office. She was deputy legal counsel and then chief legal counsel for former Gov. Mark Sanford before becoming Haley’s top legal adviser in 2011.
Patel said the added managerial responsibilities will be one of the biggest challenges of her new position. She said she hasn’t given any thought to her next career move after Haley’s final term as governor ends in January 2019. “I am just taking it day by day and week to week,” Patel said.
Congressional candidate Ro Khanna and Ritu Ahuja were married in the state of Ohio on August 29th, with Pandit Ashok Bhargava officiating at Severance Hall, the home of the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Times reported. Ro Khanna is seeking to unseat a sitting Congressman in the California 17th Congressional District, located in the heart of Silicon Valley in the Southern area of the San Francisco Bay Area. The district encompasses portions of both Santa Clara County and Alameda County including the cities of Fremont, Newark, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Santa Clara, North San Jose, and Milpitas.
Ahuja, 36, is a product marketing specialist in New York for Bulgari, the Italian jewelry and accessories company. She graduated from Georgetown and received a master’s in strategic communications from Columbia. The bride is a daughter of Usha Ahuja and Monte Ahuja of Hunting Valley, Ohio. The bride’s father is the chairman of Mura Holdings, an investment firm, and is the chief executive of Transmaxx, an automotive transmission parts supplier, both in Solon, Ohio.
Khanna, 38, is the vice president for strategic initiatives in the Santa Clara, Calif., office of Smart Utility Systems, an energy-efficiency software company. The Indian American lawyer is also a lecturer in economics at Stanford University, and a Democratic candidate for Congress from Cupertino, Calif.
From 2009-11, Khanna worked for the Obama administration as a deputy assistant secretary of commerce. He graduated from the University of Chicago and received a law degree from Yale. The groom is a son of Jyotsna Khanna and Vijay Khanna of Churchville, Pa. The groom’s mother retired as a substitute special-education teacher in the Council Rock School District in Newtown, Pa. His father retired as a chemical engineer in the Springfield, Pa., office of R
Ro Khanna, the young Indian American says, he is prepared to move beyond the finger pointing and game-playing with concrete solutions to create good paying jobs and to move America’s economy into the 21st century. He’ll be more than a vote; he’ll be a strong voice for the Bay Area’s working families and communities. Ro understands how critical innovation and technology are to maintaining America’s position as the greatest and most dynamic economy in the world. Just as important, he appreciates the diversity of our district and will continue to be an outspoken advocate in Washington for working together for the common good.
A long time resident of Fremont, Ro was drawn to Silicon Valley after graduating from law school. He worked at the Silicon Valley law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he represented high technology companies in intellectual property cases. Following his mother’s example, Ro is a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Economics at Stanford University and an Adjunct Professor at Santa Clara Law School. Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the California Workforce Development Board for the State of California, where he serves as chair for the Advanced Manufacturing Committee. Ro also served on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte as well as tutoring local high school students in his spare time. His pro bono legal activity includes work with the Mississippi Center for Justice on several contractor fraud cases on behalf of Hurricane Katrina victims and co-authoring an amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court in the Mt. Holly case to allow for race discrimination suits under the Fair Housing Act of 1968
Indian Americans are raising to be on the right side of the political spectrum as the General Elections are drawing near. During a fundraiser organized by Indian American Raj Fernando, Hillary Clinton raised at least $450,000 July 21 at the Chicago home of Raj.
(Rajiv) Fernando, a longtime donor, owns Chopper Trading that specializes in high-frequency transactions and was recently purchased by Chicago-based competitor DRW. Fernando personally gave the family charity between $500,001 and $1 million according to the foundation’s contributor list, and his company donated between $100,001 and $250,000, according to media reports.
Fernando has helped raise money in the past, raising more than $500,000 for the President Barack Obama reelection campaign, as well as his firm matching donations made by employees to more than 100 charities. He was appointed to a security advisory board by Obama but later resigned from his post.
The Indian American previously worked in trading positions at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade. Fernando, a graduate of Beloit College in Beloit, Wis., is active in nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, serving on the Foreign Policy Program Leadership Committee at the Brookings Institution and the board of directors for the American Security Project. He is a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and serves on the boards of Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Paws Chicago.
About a dozen of Clinton’s top campaign bundlers — donors who have raised at least $100,000 for her presidential bid — work in finance and investing, such as private equity investors Imaad Zuberi and Deven Parekh, and hedge fund managers Marc Lasry and Orin Kramer. Morgan Stanley vice chairman Tom Nides, who worked for Clinton at the State Department, said the new policies haven’t caused any waves on Wall Street and predicted they’re unlikely to hamper Clinton’s fundraising.
Meanwhile, in related news, an Associated Press analysis shows that donors increasing their stakes in the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation during the first six months of this year included veteran Democratic fundraisers Haim Saban, S. Daniel Abraham and Barbara Streisand, either personally or through their charitable arms. Others include Frank Giustra, a Canadian mining magnate who is one of the top donors to the foundation at more than $25 million, and data entrepreneur Vinod Gupta.
A leading Democratic Party official and veteran Congressman has extended his support to an Indian-American candidate for the U.S. Congress as he gears up for the long haul to the Illinois Democratic primary March 16th, 2016.
Congressman Joseph Crowley, D- NY, vice chair of the Democratic Caucus in Congress, endorsed Raja Krishnamoorthi’s campaign for Congress from District 8 in Illinois. While Krishnamoorthi has the support of several other federal lawmakers, Crowley’s endorsement counts because of his position in the Democratic Caucus and his name recognition within the Indian-American community nationally.
“Through our work with the Indian-American community, I’ve been impressed by Raja’s tenacity and determination to get things done,” Rep. Joe Crowley told News India Times in an email response. “Raja is a proven leader and I look forward to working alongside him in Congress.”
Krishnamoorthi was also endorsed by Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Illinois, on Aug. 13, who said the candidate would best represent the interests of the middle class and small business in his district. District 8 covers parts of Cook, DuPage, Kane and Lake counties, which contain pockets of concentration of Indian-Americans.
“Congressman Crowley’s endorsement gives Raja exposure to a national Indian-American audience,” his campaign manager Justin Lamorte told News India Times. While the endorsement was made at an individual level by the Congressman and was not a party endorsement, his position in the party counts.
“Representative Crowley is an influential leader in the Party,” Lamorte noted. He said Crowley’s support was yet another sign of the strength and momentum of the campaign. Most recently, the campaign set up a Women for Raja Committee which has garnered some 100 members already, Lamorte said.
This is Krishnamoorthi’s second attempt at getting the Democratic Party endorsement which he lost in 2012 to party favorite Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran. Duckworth is running for the U.S. Senate, leaving the seat open. So far, Krishnamoorthi has one other aspiring Democrat, state Senator Michael Noland of Elgin, to contend with.
Noland’s campaign fundraising at this time however, is trailing Krishnamoorthi who reported net contributions of $621,000 to his campaign for the last Federal Election Commission filing quarter ending June 30. Other candidates might jump into the fray over the next few months however.
Congressmen Crowley is the 8th Members of Congress to support his campaign, the others being the Democratic contingent from Illinois including Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Luis Gutiérrez, Danny Davis, and Dan Lipinski, as well as Reps. Joaquin Castro of Texas and Jim Himes of Connecticut. Krishnamoorthi has a slew of Democratic Party officials at the local and state levels also supporting his bid.
Krishnamoorthi is former deputy treasurer of Illinois and currently President of Sivananthan Labs and Episolar, Inc., small businesses that sell products in the national security and renewable energy industries. He is a co-founder of InSPIRE, a non-profit providing training to Illinois students and veterans in solar technology. He served previously as vice chair of the Illinois Innovation Council. Krishnamoorthi lives in Schaumburg with his wife, Priya, and their two sons.
The month ahead is going to be intense for the United States-India relations as the two countries inaugurate strategic and commercial dialogue in September in Washington during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second visit to the U.S. since becoming India’s Prime Minister last year, Nisha Desai Biswal, assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian Affairs, said in New York last week.
Biswal spoke on August 4th at the Indian Consulate in New York as part of the series of monthly Media- India lecture. The topic was “Vision of India-U.S. Relations in the coming years and its strategic significance in the global context”. She covered a range of subjects starting from economic relations to strategic aspects of bilateral partnership, the strong political relations, frequent visits at ministerial level and the role played by Diaspora.
The lecture was followed by Q & A session moderated by Consul General, Ambassador Dnyaneshwar M Mulay. The event was attended by a large number of people representing diverse backgrounds.
“We are very much looking forward to Prime Minister Modi’s return visit to New York” as well his visit to Silicon Valley,” Biswal said. She said that California is abuzz with anticipation and excitement over the tremendous opportunity Modi’s visit to the state brings.
Biswal visited California late last month to meet with IT entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley apparently to prepare ground for the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister, the second only by an Indian Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru in 1949.
She said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker “are very much looking forward” to hosting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the whole Indian delegation this fall. She said that work is already underway to make the visit an increasingly “significant and consequential” engagement between the two countries.
She said that during her visit to Silicon Valley, she noticed that entrepreneurs, scientists and investors are very focused on how to find new paths to partnership between the two countries are looking at new technologies that will power solution to the big challenges. “India is a development laboratory for very cutting edge new ways of tackling old challenges,” news reports quoted her as saying.
Biswal said bilateral trade has tripled in the past decade from $36 billion in 2005 to over $100 billion in 2014-15, setting the leaders of the U.S. and India on a more ambitious trajectory, calling for a quadrupling to 500 billion dollars in two-way trade in future. “We are ambitious, but we are bullish that that the ambition is going to be realized,” she said, implying that while $500 billion in two-way trade may be a pretty high target to be achieved, the U.S. is hopeful that it can be realized.
Congressman Ami Bera, Co-chair of Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, has introduced a resolution to recognize India’s Independence Day and the significance of the US-India partnership. The resolution introduced by the lone Indian-American lawmaker commemorates the 68th anniversary of India’s Independence Day on August 15, and celebrates the contributions of Indian Americans in various sectors of the American society.
“As the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy, the US and India share common values and the growing partnership between the two countries makes sense,” it said. The resolution also recognizes the importance of continuing and growing the strategic partnership between the United States and India to further common goals of supporting democracy, pluralism, and rule of law.
With a population of more than 1.2 billion people, the Republic of India is the world’s largest democracy, and shares a commitment to promoting human rights and freedom, it said. Mentioning the economic dimension of the US relationship with India, which is based on trade and investment interests, the resolution said these ties have helped create jobs and growth in both countries.
“On this Independence Day anniversary, and as the son of Indian parents, I’m proud to recognize the contributions of this community to our military efforts, law enforcement, scientific innovation, and so many other aspects of public life,” said Bera. The resolution was co-sponsored among others by Tulsi Gabbard, the only Hindu-American in the House, Joseph Crowley, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Elliot Engel, top Democrat on House Foreign Affairs committee, and George Holding, co-chair of Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans.
Atul Keshap, a senior Indian-American foreign service official, has been named as ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. After Richard Rahul Verma, who is the US ambassador to India, Keshyabp has become the second Indian American named the country’s envoy by President Barack Obama.
“I am honoured that these talented individuals have decided to serve our country. They bring their years of experience and expertise to this administration, and I look forward to working with them,” he said announcing Keshap’s appointment with three others.
Currently as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, a position he has held since 2013, Keshap assists Nisha Desai Biswal, the first Indian-American to lead the bureau. Now with Keshap’s appointments, Indian Americans would be serving as US envoys in three of eight SAARC nations. Another Indian American, Puneet Talwar as assistant secretary for political-military affairs, serves as a bridge between the State and Defence departments.
And Arun Madhavan Kumar as assistant secretary of commerce and director general of the US and Foreign Commercial Service is charged with boosting US trade abroad. Keshap previously served at the State Department as a US Senior Official for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2012 to 2013.
From 2010 to 2012, he was the Director for India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. Prior to that, Keshap was Director for United Nations Human Rights in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs from 2008 to 2010 and Deputy Political Counselor at the US Embassy in New Delhi, India from 2005 to 2008.
He served as Director for Near Eastern and North African Affairs in the National Security Council from 2003 to 2004 and as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs from 2002 to 2003. Keshap’s earlier assignments with the State Department included postings in Morocco and Guinea. Keshap received a BA and MA from the University of Virginia.
With over a score direct Obama appointees in high places, two governors, a House member, a state attorney general and eight state legislators, Indian Americans have over the years gained power and influence far beyond their numbers.
Not giving up after being on the bottom level in popularity ratings, Indian American Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal with his impressive performance, appeared to come out as the joint winner of the second-tier Republican presidential debate, multiple news outlets and political analysts have said. Fox News flash polls declared Carly Fiorina and Jindal to be the winners of the GOP’s undercard debate.
In a statement, Jindal’s campaign manager Timmy Teepell declared victory. “We saw plenty of smooth talking and famous names running for president, but only one candidate in the race has the backbone, the bandwidth and the experience to get the job done as president – Gov. Jindal,” he said.
Jindal, 44, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Punjab before he was born, is the first Indian American to ever run for a U.S. presidential election. Though currently faring at 13th position among a crowded field of 17 Republican presidential candidates, Jindal, for some political analysts, made an impressive appearance at the first televised Republican presidential debate for those who could not make it to the main discourse for the top 10 candidates.
“I think the American people are looking for real leadership. That’s what I’ve done in Louisiana, that’s what I’ll do in America,” Jindal asserted. “I’ve got the backbone; I’ve got the bandwidth; I’ve got the experience to get us through this. I’m asking folks not just to join my campaign but join a cause. It is time to believe in America again.”
Jindal also used the occasion to slam not only President Obama but also his other top Republican opponents while solidifying his stance that he is a top candidate. “We’ve got a lot of great talkers running for president. We’ve already got a great talker in the White House. We cannot afford four more years of on the job training. We need a doer, not a talker. We also need a nominee, a candidate who will endorse our own principles,” he said.
“Jeb Bush says we’ve got to be willing to lose the primary in order to win the general. Let me translate that for you. That’s the establishment telling us to hide our conservative principles to get the left and the media to like us. That never works. If we do that again, we will lose again; we will deserve to lose again.”
Michele Bachmann, a former presidential candidate, said that Jindal won the Aug. 6 debate. “Watching the #GOPDebate with millennials, their response is favorable towards @BobbyJindal whose responses have been strong and specific,” she wrote on Twitter. Jindal was also one of the most talked about candidates on Facebook.
According to Facebook, Jindal had 2.1 million people making 4.9 million interactions about him, making him the 10th most talked about Republican presidential candidate. According to the local Advertiser newspaper, Jindal delivered a solid, if less than spectacular, performance in the second-tier debate.
“There are two goals in a debate: get through it without making a major mistake and then try to distinguish yourself from the other candidates. I thought Gov. Jindal got through without making a mistake, but I’m not sure he distinguished himself from the other candidates on the stage,” said political analyst Josh Stockley of the University of Louisiana at Monroe’s.
Jindal said America must insist on a simulation in the case of immigration. “Immigration without simulation is an invasion. We need to tell folks who want to come here they need to come here legally. They need to learn English, adopt values, roll up their sleeves and get to work,” he said.
Jindal also reiterated his stance on hyphenated Americans, saying he was tired of “hyphenated identities.” He has in the past insisted that Americans are not “Indian-Americans or African-Americans or Asian-Americans” but just “Americans.” Asserting that the country needs a doer, Jindal has said he will provide real leadership to America if elected president in the November 2016 elections.
In related news, a report in the Washington Post added: One of the GOP’s rising stars made her case in Cleveland Aug. 6 for why she should be taken seriously as a potential vice presidential running mate.
Indian American South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who rose to national prominence this spring as she led the removal of the Confederate battle flag from her state’s Capitol grounds, was the featured guest at the Republican National Committee’s summer meeting in Cleveland a few hours before the primary debate.
Haley called on the party’s candidates to show “respect” in the debate and to offer substance and details about solving the nation’s problems. Haley, who has not endorsed a candidate, said she is looking for a nominee who “speaks from their gut.”
Ending more than three decades of isolation by the major world powers across all continents, Iran reached a historic deal with six world powers on July 14, 2015 that promises to curb Tehran’s controversial nuclear program in exchange for economic sanctions relief. The agreement, a focal point of U.S. President Barack Obama’s foreign policy, appears set to reshape relations between Iran and the West, with its effects likely to ripple across the volatile Middle East. “This deal offers an opportunity to move in a new direction,” President Barack Obama declared at the White House in remarks that were carried live on Iranian state television. “We should seize it.”
The agreement bars most research and development work until after year 10. But then the restrictions come off quickly and the breakout time diminishes to just a few months, which is about where it is today. The Nuclear deal will curb Iranian nuclear programs and ease fears of a nuclear-armed Iran threatening the volatile Middle East. In exchange, Iran will get billions of dollars in relief from crushing international sanctions. The accord, reached after long, fractious negotiations, marks a dramatic break from decades of animosity between the United States and Iran, countries that have labeled each other the “leading state sponsor of terrorism” and “the Great Satan.”
The accord was announced by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the European Union’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in a joint statement in the Austrian capital, Vienna. Zarif acknowledged that the final agreement wasn’t perfect, but described the announcement as a “historic moment.” He said, “Today could have been the end of hope, but now we are starting a new chapter of hope.”
The breakthrough came after 20 months of thorny negotiations between Iran and the so-called P5+1 group — the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made a statement in Vienna , saying “this is the good deal that we have sought.” Kerry stated that while the deal is historic, the implementation is what matters. “I’m not going to stand here and tell you every is going to work without a bump,” he said. Kerry added that the deal contains ample mechanisms for ensuring the terms are met, however, and that the agreement makes evident the consequences of non-compliance.
In Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said “a new chapter” had begun in his nation’s relations with the world. He maintained that Iran had never sought to build a bomb, an assertion the U.S. and its partners have long disputed.
Beyond the hopeful proclamations from the U.S., Iran and other parties to the talks, there is deep skepticism of the deal among U.S. lawmakers and Iranian hardliners. Obama’s most pressing task will be holding off efforts by Congress to levy new sanctions on Iran or block his ability to suspend existing ones.
US House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, predicted the deal would embolden Iran and fuel a nuclear arms race around the world. It will be difficult for congressional Republicans to stop Obama, however, because of his power to veto legislation. Israel, which sees Iran as a threat to its existence, strongly opposes leaving the Islamic republic with its nuclear infrastructure in place. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has furiously lobbied against a deal, called the agreement a “stunning historic mistake.”
Iran, with the backing of Russia and China, its main weapons suppliers, managed to win agreement that the embargo would not be permanent. The deal called for the embargo to be lifted after a maximum of eight years for ballistic missiles and five years for conventional weapons. But the time frame could be shortened if the International Atomic Energy Agency certifies that Iran’s nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Iran got more up front relief than the United States wanted, with the most important sanctions — those on the energy and financial industries — possibly being lifted this year if Iran complies with the principal requirements in the accord. However, the accord contains provisions for “snapback” sanctions if a panel of nations should detect Iranian cheating.
“History shows that America must lead not just with our might but with our principles,” Obama rightly summed up the historic deal. “Today’s announcement marks one more chapter in our pursuit of a safer, more helpful and more hopeful world.”
Democratic Party’s Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton promised on Saturday, July 10, 2015 to fight for a fairer society for ordinary Americans, staking out a place on the left to cut off any budding challenge for the Democratic nomination. In the first major rally of her campaign for the November 2016 presidential election, Clinton touched on many of the issues that energize liberal Democrats. She highlighted her support for gay marriage, women’s rights, income equality, clean energy and regulating Wall Street.
Speaking on New York’s Roosevelt Island, with Manhattan’s skyscrapers as a backdrop, Clinton promised to “make the economy work for everyday Americans, not just those at the top” if elected president. The former secretary of state praised working families for leading America’s economic recovery after the financial crisis of 2008. “You brought our country back. Now it’s time – your time to secure the gains and move ahead,” she told a crowd of several thousand supporters.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton
Meanwhile, the fast growing and powerful Indian-Americans are staking their claim as early supporters of the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for the presidential race of 2016. At a recent fundraiser, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a low-key stop at a gathering of high-profile Indians. No media was allowed at the event where attendees paid $2,700 per plate for some face time with the former First Lady.
The fundraiser, hosted at the home of art collector and retired U.S. Army Colonel Dr. Mahinder Tak and her husband businessman Sharad Tak, was attended by nearly 100 people during which, $300,000 was raised, Tak told the media. Clinton touched on all her pet projects and interests but also more. “She talked about the current state of the U.S. economy, relations with India, praised (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and his successful trip to the U.S., women’s rights and children’s rights, and increased drug use in the population, including among youth,” Tak said.
Among those present were businessman Sanju Bansal, co-founder of MicroStrategy, a worldwide provider of enterprise software who is now CEO of the Virginia-based data analytics company, Hunch Analytics, founded by President Obama’s first Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra. Chopra was represented by his wife Rohini Dhir. Parag Mehta, former LGBT liaison on the Obama-Biden transition team, former director of communications and also director of training at the Democratic National Committee and special assistant to the Secretary, Department of Labor, was there; IT entrepreneurs Payal and Chandra Tak, Sudhakar Keshavan, chairman and CEO of the publicly traded management consultancy IFC International which posted gross revenues of $949 million in 2013; businesswoman Devinder Singh; Arun Gupta, partner at the venture capital firm Columbia Capital; and Shekar Narasimhan, DNCs co-chair of the Indo-American Council and managing partner at Beekman Advisors, and several other heavy hitters. Former U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, also showed up.
“She’s the most experienced of all the those running, man or woman, Republican or Democrat,” Tak said. “She’s a household name all over the world. And at the White House she put ‘women’s rights are human rights’ on the map,” she added.
Republican primary voters will get more insight this week into the presidential candidates vying for their party’s nomination as the contenders prepare to square off in the first primary debate. And with the rise of Donald Trump and the drama his surge has provoked, the first debate is arguably the most anticipated 2016 election event to date. The first GOP primary debate will take place Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on Fox News, is co-hosted by Facebook and will feature the top 10 leading candidates for the GOP nomination.
As per the reports here, Bobby Jindal will not be appearing in the first Republican primary debate, which is limited only to those who are in the top ten. The debate, conducted by Fox News, will take place in Cleveland, Ohio, Aug. 6. The first ever Indian American vying to be on the ballot to be the next American President , Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is now ranked 13th in a crowded race of Republican presidential aspirants, according to the latest national poll July 31.
Fox News has decided to limit participation in its two-hour debate to the candidates ranking in the top 10 in an average of recent national polls. That will relegate seven candidates to the one-hour, junior-varsity debate with consequences to their image and standing that are difficult to predict but could be substantial. Jindal is nearly certain to miss the cut for the prime-time event, based on recent national polls. His campaign has minimized the importance of the debates, instead stressing the importance of the early states.
Jindal, 44, also the first-ever Indian American governor, has just two percent of Republican votes, compared to his top-ranking Republican opponent Donald Trump with 20 percent of votes, according to the poll. With 20 percent of Republican voters supporting him, Trump is the clear leader in the Republican presidential primary field, but he trails behind three leading Democratic contenders by wide margins in the general election match-ups, according to the Quinnipiac University national poll.
Behind Trump are Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker with 13 percent of votes and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush with 10 percent. No other Republican tops six percent, and 12 percent are undecided. Trump also tops the “no way” list, as 30 percent of Republican voters say they would definitely not support him. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is next at 15 percent, with Bush at 14 percent.
Jindal played familiar rhetorical notes in his appearance Monday, August 3rd, in a nationally televised forum featuring most of the Republican Party’s 2016 presidential candidates, who produced few if any surprises or shocks. “I’m so tired of this president and the left trying to divide us,” said Jindal, 44. “We’re all Americans. We’re not hyphenated Americans.”
“This is the most important election of our lifetimes,” Jindal said in his wrap-up. “This is about the future of America, getting off the path to socialism,” said Jindal, the Baton Rouge-born child of immigrants from India, who has consistently shunned a tag as an Indian-American and has praised assimilation in the proverbial melting pot.
“This president is trying to turn the American dream into the European nightmare,” he said, repeating another of his favorite phrases. Jindal earlier had touted his record in cutting the state budget in Louisiana, slashing the government workforce and creating private sector jobs. “We need a doer, not a talker,” he said in his valedictory. “We can’t afford four more years of on-the-job training.” And, he assured the audience, he has the “bandwidth” and “backbone” to get the job done. “We’ve had seven years of a great talker,” he said. “Let’s elect a doer. “Let us believe in America again.”
Among the Democratic hopefuls for the nomination, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is supported by 55 percent of Democratic voters nationwide, with 17 percent for Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and 13 percent for Vice President Joe Biden. No other Democratic candidate tops one percent, while 11 percent are undecided.
Kumar Barve’s “Public Servant of the Year” by the International Leadership Foundation by a foundation that focuses on the achievements of Asian-Americans, is expected to boost his efforts to win a Congressional seat in the upcoming general election. Barve, the first Indian-American to be elected to a state legislature in this country to the Maryland state Assembly Delegate was recognized at an annual dinner in Washington D.C. on July 30th. Barve is currently running for the U.S. Congress from the open seat in Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, and this award could serve him well in marshaling the support of the increasingly politically active Asian-American community in District 8.
Elected in 1990 to the Maryland state Assembly, Barve has been a mentor to numerous Indian-Americans seeking public office around the country. During his tenure in the Assembly, he has served as the leader of the Montgomery County delegation and as Majority Leader in that lower house. A social progressive and fiscal conservative, Barve is known to be a pragmatist and bridge-builder, with a record of being able to form coalitions around issues that need to be legislated.
“Kumar Barve is an historical civic leader in the Asian Pacific American community. He is the forerunner who opened doors for thousands of others to engage in the civic life of their communities and enter into public service careers”, ILF CEO and co-founder Chiling Tong is quoted saying in a release. The ILF focuses on high achievers in the Asian-American community.
Barve is a women’s rights and abortion rights activist and served as treasurer in the Maryland chapter of the National Abortion Rights Action League and its Political Action Committee from 1986 to 1990. He was on Maryland NARAL’s board of directors from 1989 to 1990. Yet, with a record of speaking his mind, in June 2010, he slammed that organization in an open letter, for its endorsement choices. “Thank you for endorsing me for reelection,” he wrote to the NARAL PAC Chair Tracy Terrell, adding, “However, for the first time in 24 years I am stunned by many of the endorsement decisions of the PAC.” Barve also strongly advocates on education and environmental issues.
Born and brought up in the U.S., his parents, both of whom are no more, hailed from the Gujarat region. Over the years and especially during his campaign for the U.S. Congress, Barve, 56, has called out his heritage and talked of helping strengthen U.S.-India relations if sent to Capitol Hill. If elected he would be the 3rd Indian-American to be in the House of Representatives after Dalip Singh Saund from California (1957) and current Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.
The graduate of Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. works as the Chief Financial Officer at the Maryland-based company, Environmental Management Services since 1992. His Congressional campaign recently received a shot in the arm when the Asian American Action Fund endorsed his bid.
Washington, DC: Arvind Kotha, an Indian American graphic artist has prepared a unique present for President Barack Obama’s 54th birthday on August 4th. The Indian American immigrant, who has lived in the United States since 2007, has created 54 sketches of the president, showcasing his many accomplishments while in office. Kotha said he tried to capture the mood and emotions of Obama as the president grapples with the many challenges of the nation.
“I have always been inspired by the president’s great courage and leadership,” said Kotha, who worked on this present for nine months. He has also contacted White House staff in an attempt to meet the president and personally present his work. In 2003, Kotha won a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for sketching for 108 hours (five days) straight, without even stopping to sleep. He was also awarded a place in India’s Limca Book of World Records that year.
In 2008, Kotha sketched continuously for 72 hours and presented several works to Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kotha has also released a book about India’s political leader Mahatma Gandhi, featuring 40 original sketches that chronicle Gandhi’s leadership in the struggle to free India from British rule. “Sketching is my passion. I try to create joy for people by presenting them with sketches on their birthdays and other special occasions,” Kotha explained.
SUNNYVALE, Calif. — The U.S.-India partnership is enjoying a historic high, but investment must increase in both directions, said Indian Ambassador to the U.S. Arun Kumar Singh on July 24, during a press conference at the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple here. Singh – who took on the post in May after serving for two years as India’s ambassador in France – noted that 100 Indian companies have invested $15 billion in the U.S., creating roughly 100,000 new jobs for Americans.
Infrastructure, mobile technology and renewable energy are three sectors ripe for U.S. investment in India, said Singh, adding that the country also offers great opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship. As an example of Indian technology innovation, Singh pointed out that India was the fourth country to send a mission to Mars and did so at about 1/10th of the cost of a similar U.S. mission. India spent just $74 million to create the Mars Orbiter Mission – also known as Mangalyaan – less than the $100 million dollar budget for the movie “Gravity.” By contrast, NASA’s MAVEN Mars Orbiter cost $672 million. The successful mission was completed in October 2014.
“The India-U.S. relationship is very strong: this is the first time a U.S. president has visited India twice while in office,” said the ambassador. “Obama has said that the India-U.S. partnership is the defining relationship of the 21st century and has called for both countries to see what we can do for the rest of the world,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Singh joined a panel discussion on the future of India at the IIT Global Leadership Conference in Santa Clara, Calif. (http://bit.ly/1H78siH). At the talk, Singh said trade between India and the U.S. is poised to grow from $100 billion to $500 billion during the next decade. Chief among India’s interests are purchases in defense and aviation, said Singh, noting that India has already purchased $10 billion in military hardware from the U.S.
The new “Invest India” initiative promoted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration will figuratively hold the hands of U.S. businessmen hoping to invest in India, and help sort through bureaucratic hurdles, said Singh.
During the press conference, Singh said he would only address the U.S.-India relationship, thereby dodging predicted questions about the treatment of India’s minorities. The ambassador also would not comment on Modi’s upcoming visit to the San Francisco Bay Area this September, saying the prime minister’s trip had not yet been formally announced.
For the first time in the history of the state of New Jersey, an Indian American woman, a Democrat, Nidhi Makhija is contesting a mayoral race in the town of Bridgewater. The town’s current Mayor Dan Hayes has filed to run for re-election in the November race, and he will face Democratic challenger Nidhi Makhija.
Innovator, IT Business Executive & Partner, Nidhi Makhija is primed to move from private consulting to public service with her vision to lead Bridgewater Township to the list of “TOP 10 Most Livable Towns in New Jersey.” A keen community player, she hopes to improve citizen quality of life and governance in the township through her methodical approach of planning, implementation and management of her “4C Model” for the Township.
Nidhi was born the youngest daughter in a family of four sisters in a small town in India. With an Engineering undergraduate degree, she went on to earn a Business Management MBA in Finance. A U.S. Big Five Consulting job offer started her American Dream where she’s worked with some of the most influential companies across the U.S. and the globe. She is now a thriving entrepreneur, business IT consultant, mother of 2 children & an American Citizen who is ready to give back to the community that helped her become more of the leader she is today. She believes women play natural roles as nurturers, planners, leaders, innovators, managers, organizers& caregivers. Now is the time to play an even greater role fueling local government success and contribution. Her life’s philosophy is made up of the three pillars below. She hopes to apply that philosophy to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Bridgewater Township.
Career Highlights & Milestones include, over 20 years of significant multi industry, national & international experiencein Fortune 500 as a IT & Business Consultant; worked with powerhouses such as KPMG, Siemens, Price Waterhouse, Bearing Point, etc. Undertook sponsored training on Leadership from YALE School of Management, Connecticut; financial oversight of budgets ranging from $100,000 to $10 million; implemented solutions for reputed companies such as General Motors, Siemens Public Service Networks & Communications, Government of Pennsylvania, SSM Healthcare, Mosaic Agro, Symbol Technologies etc., and Civic Service engagement with Education Foundation of Bridgewater Raritan, 4H Youth Development, Somerset County Leadership Program, School PTO, Actively supports South Asian NGOs.
With an aim to strengthen ties with the local Indian Community in New Hampshire, the Consulate General of India in New York organized an outreach program for the Indian community on consular, economic, cultural, banking and tourism matters at Concord & Nashua in New Hampshire on July 24-25, 2015. Representatives of different nationalized and private banks of India based in New York, India Tourism, Air India and Make My Trip participated in the event.
Besides, the meeting with the Indian Community, the delegation met with various American dignitaries from New Hampshire State, including the Mayor Donna lee Lozeau, Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster, Former Congressman Paul Hodes, Senator Dan Feltes, Senator Bette Lansky, Senator Lou D’Allasandro, Former State Senator Peggy Gilmour, Councilor Colin Van Ostern, Speaker Shawn Jasper And Michael P. Boyle, CEO & President, Boyle Energy and Businessmen and City elected officials. The delegation was well received by these American dignitaries with warmth and great respect.
A Business Luncheon was organized by State representative Ms. Lata Mangipudi for the delegation members at the Uppam Walker house, Concord. Around 30-40 businessmen and officials participated in the event. It gave a unique opportunity to our bankers and industry partners to get some insight of business opportunities for Indian conglomerates in New Hampshire region.
Outreach NH
A visa camp and the community event were organized on the following day at Rivier University, 420 South Main Street, Nashua, New Hampshire. More than 150 people participated in the visa camp, where applications for Indian visa, OCI cards and Renunciation certificates were received from the applicants. Over 200 people from various Indian Community and Associations based in New Hampshire region attended the Community event in the evening, followed by a networking dinner. Besides, people representing print and electronic media also covered both the events. The Outreach program provided a platform to the community to know about the activities of the Consulate as well as other economic houses of India based in New York/Washington. The Community welcomed the idea and requested us to organize such events frequently.
Ali Najmi, a South Asian American, has declared his candidacy for New York City Council. Ali, a Democrat, is running to win from District 23, in this section of Queens — heavily populated by South Asian families, many of which have immigrated from India. It’s a tight-knit community, an ethnic enclave, and should Najmi win the race this fall, he will become the first elected official of South Asian descent in the history of New York City. The district’s seat became vacant this June after Councilman Mark Weprin resigned to take a position in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration.
Najmi — a 30-year-old defense attorney who previously served as Weprin’s legislative director and recently nabbed an endorsement from 2014 gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout — is hoping his résumé and strong ties to the community will help him win what is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary in September. And in this community, being a South Asian kid from the neighborhood does indeed go a long way.
Ali Najmi said he is running for the City Council to make sure that all communities are respected and included in the City’s public holidays, and for this Diwali should be acknowledged as an important holiday
“I urge Mayor Bill de Blasio to demonstrate to our community the respect we deserve by adding Diwali to the public school holiday calendar. Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddist communities should have their holiday recognized. It is right thing to do and it is the New York thing to do. New York has a wonderful tradition of adapting to the needs of new and growing communities. Let’s continue that tradition by adding Diwali to the school calendar,” he said July 13.
New York is home to well over 250,000 adherents to these faiths, and recognition of Diwali as a public school holiday will be an important acknowledgement of their countless contributions to this great city, the campaigners said last week.
“Ali Najmi will be a Council Member that fights for all communities to get the recognition that they deserve. We are proud to stand with him today to call on the Department of Education to recognize Diwali as a school holiday,” said Pam Kwatra, Founder and Chair of South Asian 4 Better Choice.
Ali Najmi, a defense attorney, was honored by the New Kings Democrats for his work as a community organizer. Ali has led successful efforts to increase funding for youth programs in his community and he has rallied to improve local public schools and expand library service.
He has worked closely with labor unions as the political director of the Alliance of South Asian American Labor (ASAAL) . Ali is a co-founder of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York and is the past president of the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club.
“We are committed to take this relationship further” for the well being of both the US and India as also for the advancement of the international community, Joe Biden said suggesting that the world was “at the cusp of another sea change decade.” To seize this “historic moment, Biden said “the US was pursuing a strategy of rebalancing to the Asia Pacific region” and “America’s deepening friendship with India is an indispensable part of our Asia rebalance strategy.”
“US-India partnership has reached a new level” under President Barack Obama, he said last week in keynote speech on the future of the US-India partnership to mark the tenth anniversary of the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal. The nuclear deal “removed the single largest irritant in the relationship between the two greatest democracies,” he said on the conclusion of a conference hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
“Together we transformed the bilateral relationship into a global partnership based on shared values, interests, responsibilities,” he said. “All of these will go to shape the next century if we stay the course. India’s Act East and US Rebalance in Asia is good news for the region as well as good news for the partnership,” he said.
The joint strategic vision for the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region that Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had issued in January “serves as a beacon,” Biden said. “And every day we are working to try to make this vision a reality,” he said recalling that Obama had during his January visit to India had “declared that the US can be India’s best partner.”
“That’s our goal,” he said. “Change is taking place,” Biden said. “It’s a historic moment in the world, let’s seize it. We have a chance to bend history just a little bit,” he said. “This is one of those moments when our common interests are going to continue to converge and our countries have the potential to reach new heights.”
Earlier, addressing the Conference, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Nisha Desai Biswal recalled that “Ten years ago, access to nuclear, space, and other forms of high technology were among the most contentious issues between India and the United States.”
“Today those issues are part of the foundation on which we’re building a lasting partnership,” she said.
“In defence, the US is now India’s largest supplier, and we are launching new co-development and co-production projects that will expand our ties and advance Prime Minister Modi’s Make in India initiative,” she noted.
“Clearly, our relationship with the US has transformed rapidly in the last ten years to become a full-spectrum relationship, covering virtually all fields of human endeavour,” said the Indian ambassador Arun Singh.
Indian ambassador Arun Singh
“It is now embedded in the larger vision of a global strategic partnership,” he said asserting “that no relationship between India and another country can today match the range, depth, quality and intensity of the India-US partnership. Going forward, I see the US continuing to play a role in India’s transformation, and see India and the US joining hands to make the world a better place for our two nations and the rest of the world,” Singh said.
There are rumors across the nation that the GOP is actively considering South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to be its vice presidential candidate after her handling of the June 17 Charleston shooting and its aftermath. Politicians and pundits alike applauded Haley, a 43-year-old Indian-American, for raising bipartisan support to take down the controversial Confederate flag from state grounds. Some predicted the buzz could carry over into a 2016 nomination.
David Beasley, the last Republican governor who took on the Confederate flag, which had fluttered in front of the 19th-century capitol building for 54 years, in 1996 “lost his job,” noted Politico, an influential Washington news site, but “Nikki Haley may get a promotion.”
“Her VP stock is probably on the rise again at the moment,” Republican analyst Ford O’Connell told the Hill, going on to say that she could appeal to young, female and minority voters — groups the GOP has historically had trouble capturing. “She could stop the bleeding of women to Hillary Clinton,” he added.
The move attracted praise immediately, but it also fed speculation about Haley’s future. Her term in South Carolina runs through January 2019, though many have wondered if she’ll cut her time short to run in 2016.
Haley herself has remained quiet on the issue. After winning re-election last year, she wrote a statement that “speculation is just that.” In 2013, at a campaign stop attended by GOP contenders Rick Perry, Scott Walker and Bobby Jindal, she was more specific, telling reporters her campaign for governor didn’t mean “something national.”
“Haley’s decisive action to drive the final removal of the banner from statehouse grounds quickly and relatively cleanly in the glare of the national spotlight proved a well-timed audition for higher office ahead of the 2016 Republican veepstakes,” it suggested. “Nikki showed leadership in this instance, and she represents a new Republican face in the South,” strategist Steve Schmidt, who managed John McCain’s 2008 presidential bid, told Politico.
“Campaign 2016 has already devolved into theatre and absurdity,” wrote Doug Heye, a former communications director for the Republican National Committee, in the Wall Street Journal but “Haley recently showed that politics and government can still live up to our best ideals.”
“Haley’s words, actions, poise, and determination-her courage-over the past month have helped her state heal,” he said noting “Speculation has increased about her potential as 2016 vice-presidential nominee.”
“Other state figures had faltered when confronting the legacy of the Confederate flag and pushing for its removal. But Haley’s quick call for it to be taken off has allowed her to bask in glowing reviews,” said CNN.
“The once-rising star, whose shine had faded after her 2010 gubernatorial victory, has emerged from the flag battle as the face of the ‘new South,’” it said. Shortly after the removal of the Confederate flag from statehouse grounds, Haley told CNN that placing the flag there in 2000 was a poor decision.
“I think the more important part is it should have never been there,” she said. “These grounds are a place that everybody should feel a part of. What I realized now more than ever is people were driving by and felt hurt and pain. No one should feel pain.”
Haley, the youngest current governor in the US and the first woman and the first Indian American to serve as Governor of South Carolina, had previously been a supporter of the flag as a symbol of Southern heritage honoring residents’ ancestors.
But it was after a week of funerals for the nine churchgoers who were gunned down by a white man in a historic black church in Charleston with the alleged intent of “starting a race war” that Haley said she decided that the flag had to come down.
“The biggest reason I asked for that flag to come down was I couldn’t look my children in the face and justify it staying there,” she was quoted as saying.
“Now there’s more reason to come to this state. I am proud to say that it’s a new day in South Carolina.”
A New York Judge has ordered Dinesh D’Souza, an Indian-American conservative scribe and Obama critic filmmaker, to do community service for four more years for breaking campaign-finance laws and undergo further counselling.
Judge Richard Berman clarified on Monday July 13th that under the sentence he handed down after D’Souza pleaded guilty last year, he has to do eight hours each week for the entire five years he’s on probation and not just the eight months he was confined to a halfway house.
The Manhattan federal court judge also read aloud a report from a court-appointed psychologist who called D’Souza “arrogant” and “intolerant of others’ feelings,” according to the New York Post.
“In my mind it was never contemplated that the eight hours only applied to the period of home confinement,” Berman was quoted as telling defence attorney Ben Brafman.
He later read out a report from a psychologist who saw D’Souza, the maker of the anti- Obama film “2016: Obama’s America”, and then ordered him to continue attending weekly sessions, the Post said.
“The client tends to deny problems and isn’t very introspective,” the psychiatrist wrote. “The client tends to deny problems and is arrogant and intolerant of others’ feelings.” But so long as D’Souza stays on track with his community service, he will be allowed to visit his daughter in London and his elderly mother in India later this year, Berman said.
D’Souza pleaded guilty last year to illegally shelling out $20,000 in contributions in the name of others for Republican Wendy Long’s failed 2012 bid to defeat Democrat Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Despite having a population of 1.2 billion and the world’s ninth largest economy, India remains excluded from several regional economic organizations like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) — a situation experts say is detrimental to both India and the international community.
India’s economy is only partly integrated into the global economy, particularly regional trade arrangements in a dynamic Asia-Pacific. The emergence of regional trade agreements such as the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) threatens to further distance India from the global supply chains critical to Prime Minister Modi’s “Make in India” initiative.
Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) has convened a high-level, international task force to develop a strategy for India’s membership in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. To be chaired by Kevin Rudd, ASPI will develop the case for India’s membership in APEC, identify the benefits and obstacles to it, and seek to generate support for India’s membership in India and among APEC members.
Rudd served as Australia’s 26th Prime Minister and as Foreign Minister. As Chair of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism, Rudd is leading a review of the UN system.
Ajay Banga, co-chair of ASPI, is President and Chief Executive Officer of MasterCard and a member of its board of directors. He serves as a member of President Obama’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. Amb. Shyam Saran, another co-chair of ASPI, was Foreign Secretary of India from 2004 to 2006 and currently serves as Chairman for the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), a think tank specializing in studies on economic and trade issues.
The task force will include members from India, the United States, and key APEC member economies from Asia. ASPI will share a report of the task force with the Government of India, APEC member economies, and business communities in all those economies in early 2016. The Confederation of Indian Industry is partnering with ASPI on this initiative.
Rudd noted that India’s delayed entry is as much about the negotiation process as internal economic issues. “The dynamic of any negotiating room at the top is always in the direction delay, it is rarely in the direction of decision,” Rudd said. “There are two things that are eternal: the kingdom of heaven and the bureaucracies of our various countries.”
“Business globally, and especially in the U.S., should be delighted by the prospect of India joining APEC,” said Banga. “An India that’s much more open, much more aligned with the trade protocols and practices of APEC members, is an India that is way better positioned for integration into global supply chains.”
Shyam Saran, one of several panelists appearing via Skype, emphasized that his country realizes the importance of international economic associations. “Let me say very categorically that India is very keenly interested in becoming part of APEC,” he said, adding that the country has in fact applied in the past but was stopped by a moratorium on new members.
Panelists pointed out that some member countries remain skeptical of India’s ability to conform to APEC trade norms and culture. “The U.S. reluctance to embrace India into APEC for these many years has been a fear that India would slow down the process of moving toward greater trade facilitation and liberalization,” Fred Bergsten, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said. “India, along with some other countries, has sometimes caused problems for global trade negotiations.”
Bergsten added that if India were to join APEC, it could pave the way to membership in the even more exclusive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Being part of an organization like this, according to Peterson Institute estimates, could expand India’s exports by as much as $500 billion per year by 2025.
Sunil Kant Munjal, joint managing director and chairman of Hero MindMine Institute Ltd., said that it’s hard for India to institute the needed reforms as quickly as countries like China did. “There’s literally not one other large economy in the world that has given civil liberties first and has tried to turn itself into a market economy and a global market economy,” he said. “It is a fairly unique experiment in that sense, so some of the things have been slower than we’d like, but it’s also because of the complex and extremely diverse society that we have in India.”
India’s entry into the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), which accounts for nearly 60 percent of global GDP, would provide a pathway for greater integration into the region’s economy. It would also ensure that trade remains a unifying force in the region, where competing trade regimes are straining ties.
