US President Donald Trump has said he is nominating Neomi Rao as the replacement to Brett Kavanaugh at the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr Trump made the announcement during the Diwali celebration at the White House on Tuesday.
“I just nominated Neomi to be on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the seat of Justice Brett Kavanaugh,” he said during the celebration in the Roosevelt room.
Mr Trump said he was going to make the announcement a day later.
Neomi Rao, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, watches as US President Donald Trump participates in a ceremonial lighting of the Diya for the holiday of Diwali in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. Source: AAP
“I said, ‘You know, here we are, Neomi, we’re never going to do better than this right?’ I thought it was an appropriate place. So, we’re 24 hours early, but she’s going to be fantastic,” Mr Trump said amid laughter from the prominent members of the Indian community and members of the Trump administration.
The Senate’s Judiciary Committee confirmed Mr Kavanaugh in October this year by 50-48 vote following hearings into allegations of sexual assault against him levelled by Christine Blasey Ford.
Forty-five-year-old Ms Rao is currently serving as the head of Information and Regulatory Affairs in Mr Trump’s executive office which reviews the government regulations and oversees the collection of information and privacy policies.
US President Donald Trump alongside H.E. Ambassador Navtej Sarna, Ambassador of India to the United States. Source: AAP
When asked to comment on the announcement, Ms Rao said: “Thank you very much, Mr President, for the confidence you’ve shown in me. I greatly appreciate it.”
If confirmed by the Senate, which is controlled by the Republicans, she will join the court that is considered the second highest court in the US after the Supreme Court.
Another Indian-American, Sri Srinivasan is currently serving on the DC court of appeals as a judge after he was confirmed by the Senate 97-0 in 2013. He was former president Barack Obama’s pick for the Supreme Court.
