News India Times

www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know U S Senator Charles Schumer, D-NY, has appointed Dr. Gunisha Kaur, an anesthesiologist, to the U.S. Commission on Internation- al Religious Freedom (USCIRF) May 21, 2026 Dr. Kaur is an anesthesiologist spe- cializing in human rights research. She serves as the Director of theWeill Cornell Medicine Human Rights Impact Lab, a board member of Ensaaf, a Stephen M. Kellen TermMember at the Council on Foreign Relations, and a Faculty Fellow at the Mario Einaudi Center for Interna- tional Studies. Her appointment marks the first time that a member of the Sikh community has been asked to serve on the Commis- sion, the Sikh Coalition which advocated for her appointment, said in a press release. USCIRF Commissioners are appoint- ed by theWhite House and Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate for two-year terms. As an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency, USCIRF is responsible for monitoring the universal right to free- dom of religion or belief abroad; making policy recommendations to the Presi- dent, Secretary of State, and Congress; and tracking the implementation of its recommendations. “I am proud to recommend the excep- tional Dr. Gunisha Kaur for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Dr. Kaur will make history as the first and only Sikh to serve on the commission, and I am honored to support a commissioner with such extensive experience in human rights and community leadership,” Schumer said in his statement. “Dr. Kaur is a physician, anthro- pologist, international human rights advocate, and Sikh community leader. ….I am confident that she will bring her deep medical, academic, research, and leadership expertise to her service on the commission,” Sen. Schumer added. According to her full biography available on the eponymous website, Dr. Kaur has dedicated her career as a physician-scientist to advancing the health of forcibly displaced individu- als such as refugees and asylum seek- ers who are facing persecution based on religion, LGBTQ+ identity, or other minority statuses. With her background in neuroscience research, Dr. Kaur has pioneered the study of human rights through scientific methodology. Her research has been supported by several funders includ- ing the National Institutes of Health, the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research, the National Academy of Medicine, and Cornell University. Her academic writing on forcibly dis- placed populations has been published by highly respected medical journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, JAMA, and The Lancet. She has translated her medical and scientific expertise in mainstream outlets including TIME, CNN, NBC News, The NewYork Times, PBS, and NPR, amongst others. Dr. Kaur has given more than 100 national and international keynote presentations and talks, including with global leaders and at the United Nations. A member of the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society, Dr. Kaur is also a Faculty Fellow at the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, and a Stephen M. Kellen TermMember at the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2022, she was selected by the National Acad- emy of Medicine as an Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine, and in 2025 was awarded the NewYork State Assembly Woman of Distinction Award. Dr. Kaur earned her B.S. from Cornell University in 2006, graduated fromWeill Cornell Medical College in 2010, and completed her Anesthesiology Residency training atWeill Cornell Medical College/ NewYork Presbyterian Hospital in 2014. She earned a Master’s Degree in Medical Anthropology from Harvard University in 2015. NY Senator Chuck Schumer Appoints Dr. Gunisha Kaur To US Commission On International Religious Freedom Dr. Gunisha Kaur PHOTO:@GUNISHAKAUR.COM By a StaffWriter R epresentative Ro Khanna, D-Cali- fornia, the China Committee and CITI Ranking Member, alongside Representative Rich McCor- mick, R-Georgia, introduced bipartisan legislation May 21, 2026, to start a federal assessment of the growing biotechnology workforce. The Federal BiotechnologyWorkforce Assessment Act aims to help prepare America to support biotechnology in- dustry growth and lead against China in discovery, invention, and entrepreneur- ship, a press release from Khanna’s office said. The legislation follows the National Security Commission on Emerging Bio- technology (NSCEB) assessment in April 2025 that concluded a properly trained U.S. government workforce in biotech- nology is necessary to ensure the U.S. leads in emerging technologies including AI and quantum. The legislation is half of a package that pairs Rep. McCormick’s Biotech- nologyWorkforce Alignment Act with Rep. Khanna’s Federal Biotechnology Workforce Assessment Act of 2026 — together forming what the lawmakers see as “a comprehensive, two-pronged strategy to identify workforce gaps and take decisive action to close them.” The bill directs the Office of Person- nel Management and Budget (OPM) to coordinate with the heads of federal agencies to define the biotechnology workforce and assess current and future needs for bio-literate federal employ- ees. This report will be submitted to Congress to ensure the U.S. govern- ment meets the demand for bio-literate employees across federal agencies that can lead policy and programmatic deci- sions. “Investments into bolstering Amer- ica’s federal biotechnology workforce will pave a path toward economic and scientific leadership for the U.S. the 21st-century economy. I’m proud to lead the Federal Biotechnology Workforce Assessment Act alongside Rep. Rich McCormick (GA-06) that will assess America’s preparedness to beat China in biotechnology discovery, invention, and entrepreneurship,” Rep. Khanna is quoted saying in the press release. “America leads the world in bio- technology, and we need to keep it that way. Right now, we’re making historic investments in biotech research and biomanufacturing. Still, we’re leaving talent on the table because we don’t have a coordinated strategy to build the work- force that industry actually needs. This legislation fixes that. By aligning federal research priorities with real workforce development and getting a clear-eyed assessment of our gaps, we can ensure America stays ahead of our adversaries and continues to lead the world in the industries of tomorrow. This is exactly the kind of commonsense, results-driven governing that Americans deserve,” said Congressman McCormick. “The biotechnology workforce is now a national security asset. These bills are an important step toward making sure the United States can stay ahead in sci- entific innovation, AI-enabled discovery, and advanced biomanufacturing,” said NSCEB Commissioner Paul Arcangeli. Reps. Khanna And Mccormick Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Assess And Grow The American Biotechnology Workforce By a StaffWriter PHOTO:PHOTO:KHANNA.HOUSE.GOV Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California. US Affairs News India Times (May 23, 2026 - May 29, 2026) May 29, 2026 7