Over 20 Indian-Americans named in Biden's agency review teams
Washington: US President-elect Joe Biden has named more than 20 Indian-Americans as members, including three as team leads, to his agency review teams (ARTs) that are responsible for evaluating the operations of the key federal agencies in the current administration to ensure a smooth transfer of power.
Biden's transition team said this is one of the most diverse agency review teams in presidential transition history.
Of the hundreds of ART members, more than half are women, and approximately 40 percent represent communities historically underrepresented in the federal government, including people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities.
Agency review teams are responsible for understanding the operations of each agency, ensuring a smooth transfer of power, and preparing for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and their Cabinet to hit the ground running on Day One.
At least three Indian Americans have been named as team leads to various ARTs.
Arun Majumdar from the prestigious Stanford University is the team lead for the Department of Energy ART. Rahul Gupta is the team lead for the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Kiran Ahuja has been named Team Lead for the Office of Personnel Management. Puneet Talwar has been named to the Department of State ART. Pav Singh has been named two ARTs for the National Security Council and Office of Science and Technology.
Similarly, Arun Venkatraman has been named to two ARTs Department of Commerce and USTR.
Other prominent Indian Americans named to ARTs are Pravina Raghavan, Atman Trivedi for Department of Commerce and Shital Shah for Department of Education; R Ramesh and Rama Zakaria for the Department of Energy; Subhasri Ramanathan for the Department of Homeland Security; Raj De for Department of Justice; and Seema Nanda and Raj Nayak for Department of Labour.
Reena Aggarwal and Satyam Khanna have been named to the Federal Reserve, Banking and Securities Regulators ARTs; Bhavya Lal for NASA; Dilpreet Sidhu for National Security Council, Divya Kumaraiah for Office of Management and Budget; Kumar Chandran for Department of Agriculture; and Aneesh Chopra to US Postal Service. Almost all of them are volunteers.
These teams are composed of highly experienced and talented professionals with deep backgrounds in crucial policy areas across the federal government.
Our nation is grappling with a pandemic, an economic crisis, urgent calls for racial justice, and the existential threat of climate change. We must be prepared for a seamless transfer of knowledge to the incoming administration to protect our interests at home and abroad. The agency review process will help lay the foundation for meeting these challenges on Day One, said Senator Ted Kaufman, Co-Chair, Biden-Harris Transition.
The work of the agency review teams is critical for protecting national security, addressing the ongoing public health crisis, and demonstrating that America remains the beacon of democracy for the world, he said.
The transition team announced the agency review teams even as outgoing President Donald Trump's administration has yet to formally recognize Biden as the president-elect.
Formal recognition from the General Services Administration is needed to allow transition staff access to federal workers and much of the information they will need.
Trump, a Republican, has declined to concede the closely-fought November 3 presidential race to Democrat Biden and is mounting legal fights in several key battleground states alleging voter irregularities or widespread fraud in the election -- billed as one of the most divisive and bitter in recent American history.
President Trump has made repeated and baseless claims that the Democratic Party has tried to steal the election.
Once the GSA Administrator ascertains the results of the election, the ART members will work directly with staff in federal agencies to ensure that the incoming Biden-Harris administration is able to effectively achieve the policy goals of the President and Vice President-elect.
The ARTs will proceed by meeting with former agency officials and experts who closely follow federal agencies, and with officials from think tanks, labor groups, trade associations, and other NGOs.
Many of the ART members have had long careers in the federal agencies they will now help prepare for the incoming Biden-Harris administration, the transition said.
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Who could succeed Ali Khamenei as Iran Supreme Leader?
Tehran: The question of who will succeed Ali Khamenei as Iran’s Supreme Leader has become a major subject of international political attention.
Under Iran’s Constitution, the authority to appoint the next Supreme Leader rests with the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of senior Islamic jurists. The Assembly is constitutionally mandated to select and, if necessary, remove the Supreme Leader.
Reports indicate that three names had been considered in internal discussions in the event of a leadership transition.
One of the prominent figures mentioned is Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, the current Head of Iran’s Judiciary. He is regarded as a senior official with significant experience in the judicial and administrative structure of the country.
Another name discussed is Ali Asghar Hejazi, a long-serving official known for his role within the leadership establishment.
The name of Hassan Khomeini has also surfaced in discussions. He is the grandson of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His family lineage has drawn attention in political circles.
There has also been discussion surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei. While he is believed to have influence within religious and security networks, no official confirmation has been made regarding his candidacy.
Separately, reports have indicated that Ali Larijani, a senior political figure with extensive experience in government, has been entrusted with key responsibilities amid ongoing developments. However, no formal announcement has been made regarding succession.
Ultimately, the selection of the next Supreme Leader will be determined by the Assembly of Experts in accordance with constitutional procedures.
