Top White House post for Neomi Rao

WASHINGTON, DC — The Senate on July 10 confirmed Indian American Neomi Rao to be administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).

Rao, 44, was confirmed on a mostly party line vote of 54-41 to head the office that oversees the federal government’s entire regulatory process.

OIRA has the final approval on all proposed and final rules, as well as government data collections.

The Indian American lawyer is a former clerk for conservative Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas, and is tasked with leading a White House agency that will play a leading role in implementing President Donald Trump’s agenda for reforming government rules and regulations.

Rao is the founder of the Center for the Study of the Administrative State at George Mason University where she serves as an associate professor. The center is affiliated with the Antonin Scalia Law School and has reportedly been a beneficiary of a $10-million donation from the Charles Koch Foundation.

Rao garnered support from Democrats as well, receiving the backing of a group of eight former administrators of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, including Republicans and Democrats.

Other Democrats, such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, see Rao as a cog in Trump’s deregulation efforts.

Rao, a graduate of Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School, will also be tasked with ensuring the Trump administration follows the law as it unwinds rules and regulations.

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Neomi Rao
Top White House post for Neomi Rao

BY A STAFF WRITER

WASHINGTON, DC — The Senate on July 10 confirmed Indian American Neomi Rao to be administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).

Rao, 44, was confirmed on a mostly party line vote of 54-41 to head the office that oversees the federal government’s entire regulatory process.

OIRA has the final approval on all proposed and final rules, as well as government data collections.

The Indian American lawyer is a former clerk for conservative Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas, and is tasked with leading a White House agency that will play a leading role in implementing President Donald Trump’s agenda for reforming government rules and regulations.

Rao is the founder of the Center for the Study of the Administrative State at George Mason University where she serves as an associate professor. The center is affiliated with the Antonin Scalia Law School and has reportedly been a beneficiary of a $10-million donation from the Charles Koch Foundation.

Rao garnered support from Democrats as well, receiving the backing of a group of eight former administrators of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, including Republicans and Democrats.

Other Democrats, such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, see Rao as a cog in Trump’s deregulation efforts.

Rao, a graduate of Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School, will also be tasked with ensuring the Trump administration follows the law as it unwinds rules and regulations.