Capitol Hill backs stronger India-US partnership

Washington, June 24 (IANS) US lawmakers, senior administration officials and Indian diplomats on voiced strong bipartisan support for deeper India-US ties, calling for closer cooperation on trade, technology, defence and immigration while warning against the rise of anti-India and anti-Hindu sentiment in the United States.

The message emerged repeatedly during the fourth annual Capitol Hill advocacy event organised by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), which brought more than 150 delegates from 25 states to Washington for a day of meetings with members of Congress and Senate offices on issues affecting both the bilateral relationship and the Indian-American community.

Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas praised Indian Americans as one of the country’s most successful immigrant communities and said their achievements offered a powerful answer to critics of legal immigration.

“Every single time someone watches the questions whether legal immigration works. You’re the answer, you’re not the argument, you’re the answer,” Marshall said.

He noted that Indian Americans account for less than two per cent of the US population but play an outsized role in business, medicine and innovation.

“You didn’t just come to America, you helped build it,” he said.

Marshall described India as a rapidly rising economic power and a crucial strategic partner for the United States in the Indo-Pacific.

“India’s GDP growing at 6.6 per cent this year, the fastest of any major economy on the planet,” he said, adding that India was “a democracy, English-speaking, a Quad security partner aligned with us on China.”

While acknowledging trade imbalances between the two countries, Marshall said the relationship remained far below its potential and called for expanded market access, stronger economic ties and reforms to legal immigration pathways.

In his remarks, Congressman Sanford Bishop of Georgia highlighted the historical bonds between India and the United States, noting the influence of Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent philosophy on the American civil rights movement.

“We must ensure that H visas for skilled workers and visas for students remain available in the United States,” Bishop said.

He also called for closer cooperation to “counter the rising threat in China,” strengthen supply chains and expand counterterrorism efforts.

Bishop further urged lawmakers to confront anti-Hindu prejudice.

“We must be vigilant in our efforts to recognise and address Hindu phobia here in the United States,” he said.

Congressman James Walkinshaw of Virginia described India as an indispensable partner in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“The US and India work together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific to counter coercion and aggression from the People’s Republic of China,” he said.

Walkinshaw also pressed for reforms to America’s immigration system.

“We have to address country caps. We have to modernise our immigration system and ensure that America remains the premier destination for innovative researchers, professionals,” he said.

Veteran California Congressman Brad Sherman, a long-time advocate of closer ties with India, highlighted the expansion of bilateral trade and defence cooperation over the past three decades.

“The trade relationship between the United States and India has grown exponentially in the 30 years I’ve been in Congress,” Sherman said.

He also pointed to his efforts to reduce visa backlogs and expand opportunities for Indian professionals seeking to work in the United States.

Congressman Bill Huizenga of Michigan, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, said the two countries shared a commitment to a “free, open, and a secure” Indo-Pacific and expressed optimism about ongoing trade negotiations.

“I’m eager to see a resolution to the new trade deal,” Huizenga said, adding that discussions were “at the one yard line”.

One of the strongest interventions came from Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, who warned that Indian Americans were increasingly confronting prejudice despite their success.

“There is the rise of anti-Hindu, anti-Indian, anti Desi hate,” he said.

Referring to recent attacks directed at him, Krishnamoorthi declared: “I’m not going anywhere.”

He urged Indian Americans to become more politically active and seek elected office at every level of government.

“It’s time to run for office,” he said. “If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re on the menu.”

Congressman Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia echoed concerns about immigration delays and backlogs affecting Indian families.

“My parents came here in 1978 from India. They got their green card at the airport,” he said.

He argued that America was “missing out on so much talent from India” because of lengthy waits for green cards and visas.

Subramanyam also encouraged younger Indian Americans to become involved in public life and policymaking.

Congressman Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania described India as one of America’s most important partners and praised Indian Americans for strengthening local communities through entrepreneurship, education and civic engagement.

Community leaders also highlighted concerns about identity-based discrimination. Bob Peckar, a Jewish leader drew parallels between rising antisemitism and anti-Hindu bias, arguing that both communities faced growing efforts to marginalise their cultural and religious identities.

“Our problem is now yours,” he said, describing the formation of the Hindu Jewish Coalition of America to address those challenges jointly.

Senior administration officials used the event to outline the Trump administration’s vision for the bilateral relationship.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Bethany Poulos Morrison described India as one of Washington’s most consequential partners and pointed to expanding cooperation in trade, energy, defence and emerging technologies.

“The US-India relationship is the future,” Morrison said.

She highlighted ongoing collaboration in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, critical minerals and advanced technologies, while noting that bilateral goods trade reached $149 billion in 2025.

India’s Deputy Chief of Mission Namgya C. Khampa said the partnership had become “one of the most seminal and defining partnerships of the 21st century”.

“The strategic logic underpinning the relationship has become stronger with each passing year,” Khampa said.

He cited progress in trade, energy, technology and defence cooperation and credited the Indian diaspora with helping transform the relationship into a broader societal partnership.

“People are the ultimate custodians of this partnership,” he said.

FIIDS leader Khanderao Kand said delegates spent the day discussing Indo-Pacific security, supply-chain resilience, critical minerals, trade, H-1B visas, immigration reform and concerns about rising anti-India and anti-Hindu rhetoric. They reported broad bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for expanding engagement with India and strengthening people-to-people ties between the two democracies.

India and the United States have steadily expanded cooperation over the past two decades across defence, trade, technology, energy and regional security. Successive administrations in New Delhi and Washington have increasingly viewed the relationship as central to maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific and balancing China’s growing influence.

The Indian-American community, now numbering more than five million people, has emerged as one of the most influential immigrant groups in the United States. Its growing presence in business, healthcare, technology, academia and public service has made it an increasingly important constituency in debates over immigration, economic competitiveness and the future direction of India-US relations.

–IANS

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