Richard R. Verma assumed the mantle of the Department of State’s Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Legislative Affairs on April 6, 2009. In this role, he serves as the primary Advisor to the Secretary of State on Congressional affairs, as well as the Department’s chief liaison to Congress. Prior to his appointment, Richard Verma was a lawyer in private practice, but he most recently served as Senior National Security Advisor to the Senate Majority Leader, a position he held for several years. In 2008, Mr. Verma was appointed to serve on the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. The Commission's comprehensive report, "World At Risk" was released in December.
Mr. Verma is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, a former country director for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and has worked in the House of Representatives. He also served as a member of the Obama/Biden Defense Department Transition Team. He holds degrees from the Georgetown University Law Center, American University’s Washington College of Law, and Lehigh University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, was formerly an International Affairs Fellow of the Council, and has served on the National Academy of Sciences Panel on Critical Infrastructure Protection and the Law.
