Aneesh Chopra, the country’s first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) appointed by President Obama, recently announced his plans to run for Lt. Governor of Virginia. Among the most prominent Indian-Americans in U.S. politics today, Aneesh Chopra had been strongly supported by USINPAC to facilitate his appointment as the CTO. As he begins his campaign for the new office, USINPAC once again pledges its wholesome support to his efforts.
The son of immigrant Indian parents who worked hard to achieve the American dream, Aneesh Chopra is an example of the caliber, dedication and hard work of the Indian-Americans. The community’s growing participation and importance in American politics is personified by the likes of Chopra.
Chopra is uniquely placed to work on some of the most important issues such as health care that face the people of Virginia. Having previously worked in the health care sector, he has studied and understands the working of the health care system in Virginia as well as in the US. He has worked extensively on the Medicaid and believes that the health care system should be upgraded to improve the quality and lower the costs. His record in improving education during Gov. Kaine’s administration had been impressive and promising and portends innovative solutions to Virginia’s educational challenges.
Aneesh Chopra, during his previous stint as the CTO “helped design the President’s National Wireless Initiative, including the development of a nationwide public safety broadband network, establish a set of Internet Policy Principles including the call for a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, and led the implementation of the President’s open government strategy focused on unlocking the innovative potential of the federal government to solve problems and seed the jobs and industries of the future.” He looked for ways to engage people in using technology, such as electronic health records for veterans, access to broadband for rural communities, and modernizing government records. Prior to being the CTO for President Obama, Aneesh Chopra led the charge in Virginia and was noticed by the President for the work he did. Commenting upon his work in Virginia, Eric Schmidt (Google) said, “Aneesh built one of the best technology platforms in government in the state of Virginia.”
Today, as more and more Indian-Americans seek elected office and participate enthusiastically in the political process, USINPAC understands that more work is required to bolster and inspire these young Indian-Americans. Over the past 10 years, USINPAC has untiringly supported several Indian-American candidates for local, state and federal office. The support has been an elaborate involvement in the candidate’s campaigning process and included organizing fundraisers, awareness drives and grassroots activities to maximize the candidate’s reach. Prominent names among those elected, who were supported by USINPAC, included Ami Bera (only Indian-American in the U.S. Congress today), Bobby Jindal (Louisiana Governor), Nikki Haley (South Carolina Governor), Kumar Barve (Majority Leader, Maryland House of Delegates), Kamala Harris (California Attorney General) and Swati Dandekar (former Iowa Senate member).
As Aneesh Chopra works on his campaign for the race of Lt. Governor of Virginia, USINPAC wishes him well and looks forward to working with him towards his election.
