THE United States Senate on Wednesday (14) confirmed Indian-American civil rights lawyer Seema Nanda as the solicitor for the country's department of labour. Nanda, a former chief executive officer of the Democratic National Committee who also served in the labour department in the Barack Obama administration, was confirmed by the upper chamber of the US Congress by 53-46 votes.
Congressional Asian pacific American Caucus chair Judy Chu welcomed the Senate voting result to say, “I am thrilled to congratulate Seema Nanda on her confirmation to serve as Solicitor for the Department of Labour. Whether it’s risks from coronavirus, rising temperatures from climate change, or unscrupulous employers, workers continue to face difficult challenges every day.” She said these challenges said all the more why choosing somebody like Nanda as the solicitor of labour was significant.
“Her office will play a central role in fighting legal battles and challenges. With experience as the deputy solicitor and chief of staff at the Department of Labour under Secretary Tom Perez, I know that Seema will be a champion for workers' rights and vulnerable communities from the very start,” Chu added.
In the past, Nanda has worked as the chief of staff, deputy chief of staff and deputy solicitor of the labour department when Obama was the president and current president Joe Biden was his deputy. She has more than 15 years of experience in various roles as a labour and employment attorney, mostly in government service.
Nanda was in charge of the now named Office of Immigration and Employee Rights Section of the US justice department’s civil rights division. There, she was a supervisor attorney in the division of advice at the National Labour Relations Board and worked as an associate in private practice in Seattle in the western US state of Washington.
After the Obama era came to an end, Nanda led the DNC as the CEO and also as the chief operating officer and executive vice president at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. She is currently a fellow at Harvard Law School’s Labour and Worklife Programme. Nanda grew up in the southeast American state of Connecticut and is a graduate of Brown University, Rhode Island, and Boston College Law School, Massachusetts.
Security personnel inspect the site in the aftermath of an attack as food stall chairs lie empty in Pahalgam, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) from Srinagar on April 23, 2025. Indian security forces in Kashmir carried out a major manhunt on April 23, a day after gunmen opened fire on tourists killing 26 people in the region's deadliest attack on civilians since 2000. Getty Images
Tourists visit Betaab Valley in Pahalgam, about 112 km south of Srinagar on June 26, 2025.Getty Images
Pilgrims gather at the Baltal Base Camp near Domel, en route to the sacred Amarnath cave in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, on July 29, 2025. The annual Amarnath Yatra, which began on July 3, proceeds under heightened security following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local pony handler. Security forces have been deployed in large numbers across the pilgrimage route, with checkpoints, surveillance, and restrictions in place to safeguard the thousands of devotees undertaking the arduous journey. The Amarnath Yatra is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimages, drawing worshippers from across India to the high-altitude Himalayan shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. Despite the threat of violence and challenging terrain, pilgrims continue their spiritual trek, determined to complete the sacred journey under the shadow of grief and resilience.Getty Images
