Research
Special Projects
Biden Administration International Affairs Personnel Tracker
Sameera Fazili
Deputy Director of the NEC
Sameera Fazili is the Deputy Director of the National Economic Council in the Biden administration. Before joining NEC, she served as the director of engagement for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s community and economic development department. Fazili previously served as a senior policy advisor at NEC in the Obama administration, where she covered retirement, consumer finance, and community and economic development. Fazili has also worked at the Treasury Department on issues related to community development financial institutions, housing finance and small business finance. She was also a senior adviser and chief of staff to the Treasury’s Under Secretary for International Affairs.
On China
The Council on American-Islamic Relations introduced Fazili as a member of “Stand with Kashmir,” (SWK) a Kashmiri diaspora-led international solidarity movement in August 2019, while her uncle, Rouf Fazili, said that Fazili “has a strong affinity with Kashmir.” Such affinity could theoretically be relevant to Biden’s Indo-Pacific strategy. According to The Economic Times, “experts on Indo-USA ties” said that Fazili’s actions need to be monitored although her incoming position may not allow her any significant role in U.S. foreign policy. Fazili does not appear to have any publicly-known views on China or U.S.-China relations at this time.
Notable Speeches, Testimony & Commentary
Media Commentary & Public Perceptions
- “Joe Biden’s economic council pick Sameera Fazili was part of protests against Article 370 abrogation,” The Economic Times, January 18, 2021
- “‘She has a strong affinity with Kashmir’, says kin of Sameera Fazili,” The Kashmir Walla, January 17, 2021
Page Last Updated: August 2, 2021
*None of the personnel in this tracker are associated with the Institute for China-America Studies. All images used on this page are sourced from the official Biden-Harris transition website buildbackbetter.gov or the public domain.*