US Lawmakers Discuss Deeper Ties With India
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Nine US lawmakers met with the US-India Relationship Council (USIRC) on Capitol Hill to discuss deepening strategic ties between Washington and New Delhi.
USIRC said September 3 that its delegation met Democratic and Republican members of Congress during two days of meetings on August 31 and September 1.
The discussions covered trade, defense, the Quad, the Indo-Pacific and what the organization described as threats from the Chinese Communist Party. Supply-chain resilience, maritime security and cooperation in space were also discussed.
The lawmakers were Representatives Jonathan Jackson and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois; Rich McCormick of Georgia; Young Kim, Derek Tran, Scott Peters, Jimmy Panetta and Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California; and Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia.
USIRC is a registered political action committee that advocates stronger US-India relations and supports candidates it considers committed to the bilateral partnership. The organization said it is concentrating its advocacy on lawmakers who serve, or are likely to serve, on congressional committees dealing with foreign affairs.
McCormick, a Georgia Republican, offered some of the strongest comments on the relationship during the meetings. He described the prospect of the world’s largest economy working with a country expected to become the world’s third-largest economy as “very exciting and full of potential.”
McCormick said the US-India relationship was the “top most priority” when viewed in the context of the world’s future. He also said Washington and New Delhi should ensure that the two countries are “not just friends, but allies into the future.”
Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat, was “very forthright about his commitment to the US India relationship,” while Kim, a California Republican, was described as a longtime supporter of stronger relations with India.
Subramanyam, an Indian-American Democrat from Virginia, urged greater political participation with the message: “Get involved, Stay involved.”
Tran expressed a commitment to building the relationship “for years to come,” while Peters expressed support for stronger bilateral ties. Panetta discussed opportunities for mutual growth in several areas.
Kamlager-Dove, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee covering South and Central Asia, stressed the importance of engaging the diaspora in strengthening bilateral relations.
The meetings produced broad agreement on the importance of the Indo-Pacific, addressing shared regional challenges collectively, and expanding cooperation in strategic areas through ongoing dialogue and diplomacy. (IANS)
