TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'm DOING

Hi. I'm Neera Tanden, and you're listening to Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing.

My name is Abhay Dandekar, and I share conversations with talented and interesting individuals linked to the global Indian and South Asian community. It's informal and informative, adding insights to our evolving cultural expressions, where each person can proudly say, trust me, I know what I'm doing.

You know, with the election upon us here in the US these next few weeks on Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing, we're sharing a series of lotus per potus conversations, hearing insights from leading edge voices to help inform and get out the vote. A few months ago, I created a meme with the photo of vice president Harris that went, in Sanskrit, Kamala means lotus. In America, Kamala means POTUS. And for me and many others, that sentiment sums up the imperative choice we're making at the highest level, being thoughtful about our past, present, and future. Now Neera Tanden is someone who has had a front row seat at both the campaign and policy level with decades of experience as an adviser and a leader.

Prior to her roles in the Biden Harris administration, Neera was the president and CEO of the Center For American Progress, one of the largest and most important think tanks in the country. She served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations, and Neera has also been a policy adviser to Hillary Clinton in the White House, the senate, and her campaigns. She currently serves as an assistant to the president and director of the Domestic Policy Council, which drives the development and implementation of president Biden's domestic policy agenda. Previously, she was senior adviser and staff secretary in the White House where she was responsible for presidential decision making. So it was great to catch up with her about the campaign and what's resonating for her as I was particularly curious about hearing what was both compelling and unique about Kamala Harris as a presidential candidate.

So I've known her for over a decade. I knew her when I met her when she was attorney general. I met her when she was a senate candidate and, of course, when she was a senator and then running for president. So my experience with Kamala is that she is a person focused on the practical impacts of things on people's lives. You know, where a lot of people in Washington can kind of think of things at a national level.

She really wants to translate policies into what they mean for everyday families. I mean, that can sound kind of trite, but I've worked for a lot of political leaders, and not all of them think about what it means for people. And so she also thinks about how we implement legislation, what the real impact is. But I also you know, and I think this is somewhat fundamental is, you know, she has a lived experience. We've talked about how her mom made chapatis and, you know, how she's visited India and how her grandfather was a supporter of the independence movement and a strong believer in civil rights.

And, you know, I just think that all of those various facets of her life will make her a unique president with Yeah. A vantage point from a lot of experiences that, you know, many previous presidents haven't had. You know, when you think about this, it's so exciting to hear that from someone of your perspective that she definitely has the kind of micro level kitchen table perspectives for everyday families, but then also she's executed on so much in her career as well. And, again, you're someone who has some great depth of perspective on this. Are there specific elements of her record that voters were kind of still figuring it out and they're getting to know her right now?

They that they should look at to specifically with respect, of course, to American progress and innovation. You know, are there specific elements of her record that really stand out right now? Yeah. So I'd say, you know, she has an experience as a California senator representing first as you know, she obviously came up in San Francisco. She has a real understanding of innovation.

And, you know, I'd say there's a lot of people in Washington who really couldn't explain what a tech company is or what a social media what social media really is. And she's very facile with these issues. You know? She's done she's engaged with a lot of leaders in Silicon Valley. She's engaged with a lot of leaders business leaders throughout California.

And I think my experience with her in talking with her, I remember we had a conversation back in 2018 or 2019 on CAP had been doing I I ran the sync tank, the Center For American Progress, and we've been doing a lot of work on essentially America's competitive edge and how we invest in our competitive edge. And and this is the thing about Kamala. She can have both thoughts. And both thoughts are true, which is, one, our competitiveness is built on the fact that our our companies are the most innovative in the world. And that, you know, what really builds a middle class is, strong wages for people.

And both of those things can be a virtuous cycle. And you see that with a lot of technology companies and some of our most innovative companies, which they do, you know, pay people pretty well and get good returns on those dollars. So, you know, that's kind of the that experience of representing California, of representing Silicon Valley, of representing representing a very diverse state. And having the experience she has, I think, allows her to have kind of a global perspective. I wonder now, I think about this a lot because of the aspect of of health care, but thinking of her record, thinking of all she's doing for a a whole variety of issues, whether that's border security, whether that is health care, whether that's really geopolitics and and what's going on at the international level, because she has such a diverse set of professional experiences and the ability to really connect with people, for you as someone who sits at these sort of policy advising level, does that just make your job easier?

It does. You know, it's a lot easier to have a principal who's steeped in the issues, I will say. And, Vito, you know, let me just take an example of something that I think really demonstrates her kind of experience. So she's done a lot of work on access to capital and and access to capital for all communities. And her experience in California, her experience in San Francisco, she recognizes that access to capital is crucial for innovation.

I mean, obviously, small business development, business development writ large. There are inequities in access to capital. There's ways in which we, don't take banks don't take into account certain experiences. So she's been really focused on it as VP on how we strengthen CDFIs. How do we strengthen access to capital for, for all communities?

Because she's seen how individuals who have great ideas can can build and Yeah. Grow wealth. And, you know, what she's talked about in this, and she's worked I'd say she's worked very closely with treasury, with Secretary Yellen and Wally Adeyemo to ensure that we are expanding access to capital. Administration, we've seen a big growth in small small businesses over the last 3 years. And, you know, we're very proud of the fact that we've seen a big growth of small businesses, but also women entrepreneurs, Black entrepreneurs, Asian entrepreneurs, Latino entrepreneurs.

So she really believes in an expanding model of growth that also brings everyone to the table. And there are just tools that the government has to even to ensure that everyone has that access. But, obviously, up it's up to every entrepreneur to be able to build in the market. Yeah. And and providing I mean, I love the I mean, the whole idea of an opportunity economy, giving advantages to small businesses, and really promoting entrepreneurship.

But then at the same time, right, making sure that, you know, where it hits home with child tax credits and making sure that we can advance family leave and and all the different things that matter when it comes to really supporting the economy. Yeah. And and and and, you know, I just wanna say on this issue, she's also sees the connection to this, to Yeah. You know, family policy and economic policy. So, you know, she's been a strong advocate for childcare, paid leave, elder care.

But it's not that she just sees this as in a vacuum. You know, during the pandemic, I worked with her to strengthen investments in child care because she knew a lot of women were kept out of the workforce from the pandemic, and child care was a crucial ingredient to getting women back in the workforce. We did increase a lot of child care investments, and now women's women's workforce participation is back to where it was. In fact, a little higher than it was pre pandemic. And that's an example of understanding the interconnection between family policy, like child care, and what it really means for economic growth.

And as you know, to really keep growing, we need to ensure workforce participation remains high. That's another that's one of the reasons why she's such a strong advocate of childcare and has delivered real results. You know, the president and the American Rescue Plan, the president and the vice president delivered, you know, a large investment in childcare, which has really made a difference for families across country. Yeah. It's a huge, huge win, and it's an ongoing evolution that that I know that she's gonna advance even more.

We I was just sharing that we met at a Indian American function, you know, a couple years ago. And now at this kind of moment in our history, for you as an Indian American, as a woman who leads, what's resonating loudly for you that actually all Americans can really, really be proud of, particularly as Kamala Harris is running now. Yeah. You know, it's so interesting because this is the 3rd administration that I've worked in. I worked in the Clinton White House and the Obama White House and and now in the Biden Harris White House.

And I would say, you know, when I started out in politics, I'll say a few decades ago, I was you know, there was really just a handful of Asian Americans. And, you know, you could count on your literally hand the number of Indian Americans, South Asians in Right. The in the White House. And I remember back then, my parents were asking me, why am I working in politics instead of, like, going to be at a law firm or something that was a little much more traditional route? And, you know, it's just been heartening to see the advance of our of Asian Americans and South Asian Americans Now at the White House, some of our there were a number of, South Asians who are assistants to the president.

You know? Myself, Vinay Reddy, Arthi Prabhakar, who runs the office of science and technology policy. Vinay is the president's chief speech writer. So there's been a huge advance. But, you know, I think it's we're we should we should remember we're really at a crucial moment.

And while I'm so it's so incredible to have a vice president and a president, a nominee of a major party who is Indian American. It's the daughter of an Indian immigrant woman who, you know, traveled the globe at 19 to really honestly have a chance in American dream. It is, like, such a resonant story for me. The story of Shyamala Gopalan's journey to America is such a resonant story for, you know, me thinking about my parents who came in the fifties sixties. So but I also think we should understand that we're also at a moment where we're seeing a great divide on this really central question, which is, again, like, is the country really for Shyamala Gopalan's daughter and and my children and the story that all of us bring, which is immigrants who travel to this country, go through tremendous journeys to just be American, have access to the ideals of America?

Or do we have a different vision, which is that the country is really just for some of us and not for all of us. And, really, we think back to a time when the country didn't have leaders that look like us and didn't really put people who look like us in positions of power. And I think, if we wanna be really candid, what's at stake in these debates about diversity or Yeah. Other issues You don't have anything. Or attacking Haitian migrants with really disgusting vile accusations, It really is whether we're protecting an America where leaders only looked one way, where Yeah.

Political leaders, business leaders, civic leaders, or that the ideals of America are for all of us. And what makes America actually truly great is that you can hold these ideals and you can succeed and you can capture the American dream. And I know it sounds cliche, but you can capture the American dream even if you're the child of immigrant from India and another immigrant from Jamaica. And I think that is really the story of this election. You know, obviously, Kamala is going to be campaigning.

She is a she's a candidate for all Americans, but she also has a lived experience that will, for the first time, in a unique way, represent a a group of of Americans, and I've underlined a group of Americans that haven't had full representation. I think that's such such an important key distinctive thing to recognize. Right? That, like, you know, her her message is including everyone in the tent as and looking forward as opposed to someone looking backward. You know, on that note of looking forward, what you know, again, as someone with your experience and your perspective, what what does a Harris Walz administration what is that gonna likely look like for the majority of Americans?

You know, what's your what's your thoughts on, sure, this is a campaign, but what do people have to look forward to? Because in the end, that's what they're hopefully putting their trust and their hopes in. Absolutely. And I think this is a great question. And, you know, what I really think we all have, to look forward to is a range of policy policies that are that are focused on really the practical.

So, you know, when she's talking about a middle class tax cut or investments in small businesses or entrepreneurs or childcare, it is really the practical way we are improving people's lives. And, you know, I think she'll look out for costs for families. She'll be really mindful of the burdens on families. It's another way she thinks about childcare costs. It's huge burdens for families.

She'll continue to fight on particular issues like lowering drug costs and ways in which we have been successful in sort of taking on some special interest. But I think she'll also you know, I think I I really do think her north star will be and I've I've had conversations with her. I've been in briefings with her. Her north star really is, how does this policy affect a family? How does this policy affect a family that's struggling?

You know, I remember in during the transition, almost 4 years ago, when we were thinking through the American Rescue Plan, She was really focused on how do we get money out the door quickly to families who are struggling now. We can talk all we want about this policy versus this policy. But if if one policy is not gonna help until 8 months from now or a year from now, that policy is a lot different in people's lived experience. And so that's really I mean, I think, you know, a lot of political leaders come through different routes. Her experience was as a prosecutor.

She was really on the ground. She saw how things affect people on the ground, and she's really brought that experience forward. I love that. And, I mean, I think at the again, thinking of policy at the highest level from what it looks like at, the kitchen table for a family, for any family, no matter, you know, where they're coming from and and and who they look like. I think that's critical.

One last thought here is for for the voters who are on the edge, for those people still kind of, again, figuring it out, what's your message to them? Especially for those folks who are just either just getting to know and learn about Kamala Harris or for that matter, you know, still figuring it out? Yeah. You know, I'd say this really comes down to a couple of things that I'd emphasize. I think a big difference in this election is that, I know Kamala Harris and Tim Walz both very well.

They are people who are going to think about your lives. They're not gonna think about who their latest grievances with or what group they can attack or what political leader they can malign. They're really gonna get up every day and think about how can we make progress to make your life a little easier, to pay your bills or to address needs? You know, I think that is is really lost in our political debate. So I I'm happy to talk about how Kamala has a plan to grow the economy and ensure it grows for everyone by focusing on small businesses and expanding access to capital to all communities or how she's gonna get a middle class tax cut or how she's going to invest in childcare or even on foreign policy, her focus on defending Ukraine and ensuring America has allies throughout the world.

I can talk about any of these issues because she's Reproductive rights the whole world. You know, and how central reproductive rights are for her and democracy and how she's really gotten a lot done on voting rights. So I could talk about all those issues, but fundamentally, people I mean, I've worked for a number of political leaders, and I'm very proud to have worked for with so many. But the things that distinguishes our most successful presidents are the people who really do get up every morning and think about how they can make progress for other people. And it's because it's a through line for them, it's a through line for their administration.

And when it's a through line for the administration, people really do make progress on those goals. And I think she'll be a leader who excels with them. Well, whether it's progress, at the policy level or a through line for the American people, Neera, we thank you so much for joining us. This was really a treat and and really wish you all the best. Thank you.

Great to be with you. Thanks so much, Neera. Remember, conversation is the antidote to apathy. So go to vote.gov for information about registering and to and to kamalaharris.com to learn more about the Harris Walz campaign. Please get involved, get engaged, and get informed about all your local issues and candidates up and down the ballot.

Till next time. I'm Abhay Dandekar.