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Following the announcement of President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken's nomination of Indian American Richard Verma to a top diplomatic position in the US Department of State, Indiaspora, a nonprofit community of global Indian diaspora leaders called it a well-deserved nomination and said that the US leaders have made an inspired choice.
Verma has been nominated for the position of Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. Verma is the Chief Legal Officer and Head of Global Public Policy at Mastercard. He was the United States Ambassador to India and Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs during the Obama administration. "In nominating Ambassador Richard Verma to this very senior State Department role, President Biden and Secretary Blinken have made an inspired choice. Because of his ample high-level experience in the executive and legislative branches of government, his diplomatic vantage point as the 25th United States Ambassador to India, where he oversees one of the largest US Missions in the world including four consulates across India and nearly every agency of the US government," Indiaspora said in an official release. Describing Verma as the right person to serve the country in the top echelons of the State Department, Indiaspora also highlighted his international private sector leadership background as a partner at the global law firm of Steptoe & Johnson LLP and as Senior Counselor to the Albright Stonebridge Group in its media release. "Rich is exactly the right person to serve the country in the top echelons of the State Department. Equally importantly, Rich possesses the character, temperament and judgement to serve in this capacity," the official statement read and added that the United States Senate will expeditiously confirm his well-deserved nomination as the non-profit community expressed confidence in Richard Verma's feat. Verma has worked on a variety of subjects during his career, including foreign policy, national security, and economic growth. He has a proven track record of advancing US interests abroad and forging great connections with foreign governments. He has served on the Secretary of State's Foreign Affairs Policy Board and has received the State Department's Distinguished Service Award as well as the Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship, Indiaspora's media release added. Earlier in his career, he served as National Security Advisor to US Senator Harry Reid (D-NV). He was the Democratic Whip, Minority Leader, and then-Majority Leader of the United States Senate at the same time, according to the release. He was appointed to the President's Intelligence Advisory Board and is a former member of the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Commission. He serves as a trustee of The Ford Foundation, and is on numerous other boards, including the National Endowment for Democracy and Lehigh University. (ANI)
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