Updated 22 January 2014

Habib M Habib, Vice Chair of the Media Committee of The World Federation, Secretary General of NASIMCO and also Democratic State treasurer of Washington State, in his capacity as Co-Chair of Washington State-India Trade Relations Action Committee (WASITRAC) attended a White House closed door policy briefing meeting on December 20th with a panel of senior white house officials and several key members of the government’s administration.

The meeting was followed by a private White House holiday reception and a handshake with the President of United States Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama.

The policy briefing meeting covered many upcoming reforms that the current administration has been focused on, including health care and immigration. The panel was moderated by Matt Nosanchuk, Associate Director, WH Office of Public Engagement, and included Christen Linke Young, Senior Policy Advisor for Health Policy; Tyler Moran, Deputy Policy Director for Immigration; Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, USDA; Sam Kass, Senior Policy Advisor and Executive Director of Let's Move, White House Office of the First Lady; and Betsey Stevenson, Member, White House Office of the Council of Economic Advisers.

      

PICTURE #1: (left) Co-Chair of WASITRAC Debadutta Dash, United States Deputy Policy Director for Immigration, Tyler Moran and Washington State Treasure Habib M. Habib

PICTURE #2: (left) Habib M. Habib Co-Chair of WASITRAC; Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, USDA; Ms. Betsey Stevenson, Member, White House Office of the Council of Economic Advisors

Addressing his question to the United States Deputy Policy Director for Immigration, Tyler Moran, Mr Habib M Habib expressed concern regarding the comprehensive immigration bill, which recently passed the senate. He referred specifically to the elimination of “the fourth preference” in the bill which gives rights to USA citizens to sponsor their siblings to the United States for permanent settlement. Mr Habib made clear that family reunification is an especially important issue for our community, which highly values family ties, and requested the Director of Immigration to support and to increase efforts towards ensuring its inclusion in the immigration bill.  He was assured that his concerns had been noted and that the administration is for this inclusion.