WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — President Donald Trump nominated Harry Kumar, an experienced advisor at the U.S. Department of Commerce, as Assistant Secretary of Commerce. The White House announced the nomination recently, pointing out Kumar’s wide-ranging experience in economic policy and legislative affairs.
Kumar is currently a senior advisor in the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Commerce. In that role, he offers strategic counsel on economic policy, trade, and business development efforts. He also counsels on Capitol Hill outreach and legislative strategy, covering top-of-mind policy matters that affect the department’s mission.
Before he joined the current position, Kumar was Li-Cycle’s Director of Government Relations, a job that deals with critical mineral and battery recycling policy affairs. Kumar was responsible for federal outreach on critical minerals policy affairs and battery recycling policy affairs, furthering his legislative strategy on the job. His legislative strategy expertise includes serving as Associate Director of Legislative Affairs within the Department of Commerce, where he handled congressional affairs on important policy proposals.
Kumar started his public service career on Capitol Hill, serving as Legislative Counsel to Representative Randy Weber, handling important policy issues. He then worked as a policy advisor to Senator Marco Rubio, helping to shape legislative initiatives on commerce and Florida-related issues.
Kumar was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. He graduated from Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law with a Juris Doctor and Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. His parents, Drs. Nat and Saku Kumar, still live in Beaumont, and his sister, Nitya Kumar Barrett, resides with her husband, Barry, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kumar and his fiancée, Alexandra, now live in New York City.
The nomination has been forwarded to the Senate and is pending confirmation.
