Richard Rahul Verma nominated new US envoy to India

US President Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American Richard Rahul Verma as the new ambassador to India, the White House has announced.

Once confirmed, he will be the second Indian-American in a top US state department role that involves India.

Indian-American Nisha Desai Biswal is the current Assistant Secretary of State for South and South Central Asia, a region that includes India.

The nomination came nearly six months after the previous ambassador Nancy Powell left her post following a bitter spat over diplomatic privileges and protocol.

Verma is currently serving as Senior Counselor at Steptoe & Johnson law firm and the Albright Stonebridge Group, a business advisory company led by former secretary of state Madeleine Albright.

He was Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the Department of State from 2009 to 2011 and Senior National Security Advisor, Counsel and Foreign Policy Advisor to the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid from 2002 to 2007.

Congressmen have already hailed his nomination for the New Delhi post.

“With over two decades of senior foreign policy experience, Rich Verma is a skilled and accomplished professional who will make an excellent ambassador to India,” Congressman Joe Crowley, Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, was quoted as saying by Zeenews.

“He (Verma) is committed to building the US-India relationship, has access to the highest levels of the White House, and is exactly who we need at the helm as we look to further strengthen US-India relations,” Crowley said soon after Obama's announcement on Thursday.

Congressman Ami Bera said Verma is an experienced professional who will make “an outstanding ambassador” at a critical time for growing India-US relations.

“He has many years of foreign policy experience as a high ranking official with the US Department of State, as an adviser in both the US Senate and the US House of Representatives, and during his years in the US Air Force,” he said.

The nomination comes ahead of a visit by the new Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to be in Washington from Sep 29 to Sep 30.

Nancy Powell resigned her post earlier this year after an uproar over the treatment of an Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade serving in New York City.

The diplomat had been arrested and strip searched amid accusations that she had made false statements on a visa application for and drastically underpaid her housekeeper.

The resulting uproar strained relations between Washington and New Delhi, with the Indian government ordering the expulsion of US diplomat Wayne May in retaliation.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Verma assisted Obama with debate preparations and was invited by Podesta to serve on Obama's national security transition team after his election.

Indian media say the nomination of an ambassador candidate with close ties to Obama will serve as a diplomatic olive branch.

Verma graduated from Georgetown University (LLM), Lehigh University (JD), and American University (BS), and is considered a leading practitioner in the fields of national security law, international regulatory compliance and public policy.

He has worked mainly with Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State on the executive side, and on the legislative side he has worked with Senator Harry Reid for many years.

He has some military experience, having served in the United States Air Force as an Air Force judge advocate.

Verma has also worked extensively on US export controls and economic sanctions.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said the US needs an Ambassador who understands India, and who can nourish the friendship and advance their shared interests, noting the importance of the relations between two countries.

“I'd like to congratulate Mr Verma on his nomination to fill this role and represent our nation to the people of India. His vast experience in public service will serve him well,” the congressman said, according to Zeenews.

However, his confirmation may take time.

The Hindu says records of the US Senate on the number of nominations of the Obama White House still “undergoing committee consideration” in the Upper House do not inspire confidence that Verma might be confirmed as Ambassador anytime soon.

They indicate that there are 99 nominations that are awaiting confirmation or are under consideration across federal government departments, and among them 40 appointments are from the State Department alone.

If the multiple stages of the confirmation process are considered, including the early nomination phase, confirmation by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and also confirmation by the full Senate, reports suggest that as of early September there were at least 55 ambassadorial posts still lying vacant awaiting Congressional action.

Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat has been nominated as ambassador to Bangladesh in May. She is not confirmed yet.