| Bobby Jindal | |
| |
| 49th Vice President of the United States | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Ivanka Trump |
| Preceded by | Luis Gutiérrez |
| Chair of the President's Council on Pandemic Response | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Neera Tanden (As Chair of the White House Task Force on the Novel Coronavirus) |
| United States Senator from Louisiana | |
| In office January 20, 2017 - January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | David Vitter |
| Succeeded by | Lane Carson |
| 55th Governor of Louisiana | |
| In office January 14, 2008 - January 9, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Kathleen Blanco |
| Succeeded by | Scott Angelle |
| U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 1st District | |
| In office January 3, 2005 – January 14, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | David Vitter |
| Succeeded by | Steve Scalise |
| Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Planning and Evaluation | |
| In office July 9, 2001 – February 21, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Margaret Hamburg |
| Succeeded by | Michael O'Grady |
| Biography | |
| Born | June 10, 1971 (age 51) Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican Party |
| Alma mater | Brown University (BS) New College, Oxford (MLitt) |
| Spouse | Supriya Jolly (m. 1997) |
| Occupation | Politician |
Bobby Jindal (born Piyush Jindal; June 10, 1971) is an American politician serving as the the 49th and current Vice President of the United States. He previously served as the junior United States Senator from Louisiana from 2017 to 2021, the 55th Governor of Louisiana from 2008 to 2013, a member of the House of Representatives from Louisiana's 1st district from 2005 to 2008, and as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2001 to 2003.
Jindal has sought the Republican Party's nomination for President twice, in 2012 and 2016. In both elections, he was the runner-up, finishing behind former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and New York businessman and reality star Donald Trump, respectively.
Jindal was elected to the United States Senate in 2017, where he was one of the principal authors of the Healthcare Modernization Act of 2017.
On August 10th, 2020, Republican presidential nominee Ivanka Trump named Jindal as her running mate. The Trump-Jindal ticket won the general election against Democratic incumbents Hillary Clinton and Luis Gutiérrez. Jindal is first Indian American and the first Asian American Vice President, and thus is the highest-ranking Asian American official in United States history.
As Vice President, Jindal serves as the Chair of the President's Council on Pandemic Response, directing the Trump administration's policies to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Early Political Career[]
Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services[]
In March 2001, Bobby Jindal was nominated by President George W. Bush to be Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Planning and Evaluation and was later unanimously confirmed by the Senate. In that position, he served as the principal policy adviser to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
In his portfolio, he was assigned to help fight the nurse shortage by examining and proposing steps to improve nursing education, as well as reviewing HHS activities and relations with the nursing work force.
U.S. House of Representatives[]
Jindal was first elected to represent Louisiana's 1st Congressional District in 2004, capturing 78% of the vote in the general election.
He was elected freshman class president and was appointed to the House Committee on Homeland Security, the House Committee on Resources, and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He also served as vice-chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attacks.
Governor of Louisiana[]
Election[]
On October 20th, 2007, Jindal was elected governor of Louisiana, winning a four-way race with 56% percent of the vote. At age 36, Jindal became the youngest governor in the country at the time. He also became the first non-white to serve as governor of Louisiana since Reconstruction, the first elected Indian American governor in U.S. history and the second Asian-American governor to serve in the continental United States, after Gary Locke of Washington.
Tenure[]
Hurricane Gustav[]
In 2008, Hurricane Gustav, a Category 4 storm, made landfall across the Caribbean and the United States.
Jindal took swift action, issuing mandatory evacuation orders for Louisiana's coast, and activated 3000 National Guardsmen to aid in the evacuations. Additionally, ordered the state to purchase generators to power hospitals and nursing homes without electricity, and ordered the poor, the ill and the elderly onto buses and trains out of the reach of the hurricane.
Speaking about the disaster, Jindal said:
"This is a serious storm that has caused serious damage in our state. We're pleased we haven't seen breaches in the levees. We're pleased we haven't seen major flooding in New Orleans or the places that flooded before. But there are serious challenges."
Jindal makes a statement on preparations for Hurricane Gustav.
Peter Whoriskey, staff writer for the Washington Post wrote a glowing profile on Jindal, writing
"Jindal has proved adept at handling voluminous details of the recovery and the minutiae of the bureaucracy. Since becoming the state's secretary of health and hospitals at 24, he has enjoyed a reputation as being on the fast track."
Deepwater Horizon Disaster[]
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill began on April 20th, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect. With the deaths of 11 people, it is considered the largest marine oil spill in history. The federal government estimated the total discharge at 4.9 million barrels.
Jindal activated the Louisiana National Guard and called on coastal parish leaders to draw up their own response plans after saying he couldn't get answers from BP or the Coast Guard. His quick response was widely praised, often contrasted with the more calm, worry-free demeanor of Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour.
As Governor, Jindal supported the construction of artificial islands to protect Louisiana's fragile coastal wetlands from further damage from the oil, as well as protection against hurricanes.
Job Creation[]
In a January 2012 analysis by The Business Journals, which ranked 45 of the country's 50 governors by their job creation records for the previous year, Jindal was ranked number five. The ranking was based on a comparison of the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Private Citizen, 2012-2017[]
EuroChem Project[]
In 2011 and 2012, Jindal's administration worked to attract EuroChem - a Russian fertilizer company - to Louisiana for business; he continued to promote the project as a private citizen.
In July 2013, the company announced its intention to build an ammonia and urea production plant in Iberville Parish, with a $6,000,000 USD performance-based gran. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2014, President Obama signed sanctions against Russian businessmen and institutions, threatening the project's viability. Jindal spoke with EuroChem CEO Dmitry Strezhnev on behalf of Louisiana state leadership, assuring him that the project still had their "full support."
After the company secured loans from Russian and European banks, construction with the project went forward, beginning operations upon completion in April 2016.
Presidential Politics[]
2012 Campaign[]
See Also: Bobby Jindal Presidential Campaign, 2012 (The More Things Changed)
On June 16th 2011, while speaking at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, in New Orleans, Jindal revealed he had formed an exploratory committee for the Republican nomination for President in 2012. He officially announced his candidacy on June 25th at a rally in New Orleans, further announcing that he would not seek re-election as Governor.
Jindal's vigorous campaigning in Iowa, including visiting every county in the state and strength among Evangelical voters, propelled him to victory over Mitt Romney in the first contest of the presidential primaries. By the time he suspended his campaign in April of 2012, he won the second most votes and delegates over Romney.
Jindal was considered to be a possible vice presidential running mate for Mitt Romney in 2012, but ultimately, Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin was selected instead.
2016 Campaign[]
Main Article: Bobby Jindal Presidential Campaign, 2016 (The More Things Changed)
Jindal speaks to supporters at a Texas rally.
After his 2012 bid, Jindal founded the conservative policy group America Next to advocate for his ideas - particularly education, energy, and healthcare policies - and to and lay a foundation for his future 2016 campaign.
Having won the second-most votes and delegates in the 2012 Republican primaries, Jindal was seen by many observers to be "next in line" for his party's nomination. Throughout most of early polling in the election cycle, he consistently placed in the top three potential candidates. However, he faced stiff competition from a historically crowded field, including former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, son and brother to former Presidents.
Once again, Jindal won the Iowa caucuses, and once again won the second most delegates and second most states. However, the historically crowded field competing for the same voter profiles weakened his position, ultimately paving the way for New York businessman and reality star Donald Trump to win the nomination.
United States Senate[]
See Also: United States Senate Election in Louisiana, 2016 (The More Things Changed)
Election[]
Following his second Presidential defeat, Jindal announced a late candidacy for the Senate seat vacated by David Vitter, who had lost a gubernatorial campaign against Democrat John Bel Edwards after defeating incumbent Republican Governor Scott Angelle in the primary.
In addition to Jindal and Campbell, five other candidates — Republicans John Neely Kennedy, Charles Boustany, John Fleming, and David Duke, and Democrat Caroline Fayard — qualified to participate at a debate at Dillard University, a historically black college, on November 2nd, 2016.
On November 8th, Jindal and the Democratic nominee, Public Commissioner John Foster Campbell finished in first and second respectively in the state's jungle primary and thus advanced to the runoff, which was held on December 10th. In the runoff, Jindal won the election with over 50% of the vote. His victory marked a significant electoral comeback.
Healthcare[]
Main Article: Healthcare Modernization Act of 2017 (The More Things Changed)
Since his election to the United States Senate, Jindal has made healthcare reform the initial focus of his term. Along with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Jindal is one of the principal authors of the Healthcare Modernization Act of 2017.
Jindal's signature contributions to the bill included a proposal for greater wellness incentives, an expansion of Health Savings Accounts, and Medigap reform. One of his amendments - requiring price data from hospitals to be published online and available in print - was met with praise from all sides of the aisle.
Energy and Environment[]
Jindal has advocated for continuing oil production and refining - the latter of which constitutes a major industry in his home state of Louisiana.
Jindal has rejected the idea that environmental protection requires active governmental measures such as cap and trade of carbon emissions, or subsidies to renewable energy resources. About his views on energy and the environment, Jindal has said:
"A truly effective American energy policy will recognize that abundant energy resources are a blessing, not a curse. We must strive for — and achieve — strong environmental stewardship while reaping the benefits of our energy blessings. We must finally have the courage to pursue our bright energy future without resigning ourselves to self-fulfilling prophecies of energy scarcity and environmental ruin."
An artificial island off the coast of Breton Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana.
He has also referred to the issue of climate change as a "Trojan horse" for greater government regulation.
Continuing his advocacy of building barrier islands to protect coastal wetlands, Jindal also co-sponsored the Gulf Coast Reclamation Act with Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL). Kevin de León, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Hillary Clinton administration, criticized such efforts as ultimately being more destructive than useful in protecting the Gulf region.
2018 Fact-Finding Mission[]
In May 2018, along with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jindal led a bipartisan, bicameral fact-finding mission on land reclamation and environmental protection, visiting the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Fiji, and Kiribati.
Religious Freedom Restoration Act[]
In the Senate, Jindal has proposed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which would "prohibit the federal government from denying or revoking a tax exemption, tax deduction, contract, cooperative agreement, loan, professional license, certification, accreditation, or employment on the basis the person acts in accordance with a religious belief that marriage is between one man and one woman."
Foreign Policy[]
Prior to being seated in the Senate, Jindal had been a staunch critic of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, and continued to criticize her administration's foreign policy while seated in the chamber.
Eastern Europe[]
Jindal has advocated for sending arms to Ukraine in its fight against Russian-backed separatists in Donbass. Further, he has accused the Clinton administration of "withdrawing from the responsibility to lead" in Eastern Europe, and has stated his support for the Belorussian Democratic Assembly in the Belorussian conflict.
Trade[]
Alberta Premier Cruz meets with Senator Jindal, 2017
In 2017, Senator Jindal met with Alberta Premier Felito Cruz to discuss shale petroleum exports from Alberta to refinement in Louisiana, which are exported from the Gulf of Mexico across the globe. Jindal, Cruz, and Governor John Bel Edwards helped institute a Twinning Relationship - analogous to sister cities - between Alberta and Louisiana. A second meeting between the two took place in 2018, further cementing the agreement.
2020 Election[]
In early polling for the 2020 Republican primaries, Jindal emerged as one of four frontrunners, alongside Ohio Governor John Kasich, former Indiana Governor and 2016 Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence, and 2016 Presidential nominee Donald Trump. Jindal eventually declined to run a third campaign for the White House.
On January 9th, 2020, Jindal endorsed businesswoman Ivanka Trump for President at a campaign event in West Des Moines, Iowa. Trump would later select Jindal as her running mate on August 10th, 2020. He is the first Asian American to be nominated for Vice President by a major political party.
Jindal participated in the campaign's only vice presidential debate on October 7th at Kingsbury Hall, at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. He faced incumbent Democratic Vice President Luis Gutiérrez and the Libertarian nominee, Representative Martha Rainville of Vermont.
Vice President of the United States[]
Following the election of Ivanka Trump in the 2020 election, Jindal assumed office as Vice President of the United States on January 20th, 2021. Jindal is first Indian American and the first Asian American Vice President, and thus is the highest-ranking Asian American official in United States history. He is additionally the third consecutive Catholic to hold the position.
In the early days of his vice presidency, Jindal has performed many ceremonial duties, including swearing in Tom Cotton as United States Secretary of Defense and Carly Fiorina as Secretary of Homeland Security, just hours after his own inauguration as Vice President on January 20th. He also administered the oath of office to the White House senior staff on January 22th, 2021.
Jindal has also sat in on calls made by President Trump to foreign heads of state and government, including Russian President Sergey Shoygu and Australian Prime Minister Peter Dutton. Jindal has also spoken directly with Canadian Prime Minister Felito Cruz and Deputy Prime Minister Nikki Pedersen.
Staff and Personnel[]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chief of Staff | Timmy Teepell (since 2021) |
| Assistant to the Vice President and General Counsel | Jimmy Faircloth (since 2021) |
| Senior Advisor for Foreign Affairs and Defense | Jim Talent (since 2021) |
| National Security Advisor to the Vice President | Jay Carafano (since 2021) |
| Chair of the Vice President's Council on Jobs | Camille Conaway (since 2021) |
| Senior Economic Advisor to the Vice President | Abhay Patel (since 2021) |
| Director of Communications | Kyle Plotkin (since 2021) |
President's Council on Pandemic Response[]
Main Article: President's Council on Pandemic Response (The More Things Changed)
On January 20th, 2021, President Trump signed an executive order eliminating the White House Task Force on the Novel Coronavirus created under her predecessor and established the President's Council on Pandemic Response, to be led by Vice President Jindal.
In his first public appearance as Chair, Jindal stated that the administration would encourage the localization of key elements of the supply chain (for example, active pharmaceutical ingredients) by promoting tariffs and encouraging local development of those materials.
On April 7th, 2021, Jindal and Secretary of Labor Scott Walker announced in a joint press conference that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) would reverse a Clinton administration rule mandating regular COVID testing for businesses with over one hundred employees.
On August 9th, 2021, Jindal encouraged the return of students to schools, stating "We have to live with this virus until we have a successful and widely available vaccine approved for kids. That’s just the honest truth and everyone knows it."