On visit to India, Congressman talks foreign policy, trade.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA) – currently the only Indian-American holding a seat in the US Congress and the third to ever do so – is on a trip to India this week, his first since taking political office.
On Monday, Bera reiterated his feeling that the Indo-US relationship is one of the most important in the world, and will prove to be one to watch in coming months, specifically in the area of stabilizing Afghanistan and preparing it for its upcoming elections. Bera, who is part of Congress’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, said that is it in the US’s interest to “engage with Afghanistan till December 2014 [and to] do it successfully,” further saying that the best way to do this is increased cooperation between the US and India. Bera explained that part of his job in Congress, as he sees it, is to help other members understand the dynamic between the two countries and to foster more political awareness – and activity – from Indian-Americans themselves.
Bera went on to say that he’d be thrilled for an Indian-American to become President of the United States, a goal that he admits is far-off but not as far-fetched as many would initially believe.
“Indian Americans are starting to get more engaged in politics,” Bera said in an interview to DNA India. “I think it is only a matter of time before someone starts to run for [US] Senate.”
Bera’s comments about India and the US come during a time when many in both countries’ political circles believe the relationship has stalled somewhat, despite work on the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Agreement moving forward, and the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set to visit Washington, next month.
Immigration to the US from India has also become a hot-button issue in recent months, with the Gang of Eight bill being debated furiously by those inside and out of Congress. The bill contains stipulations that could make it prohibitively expensive for companies to bring in valuable and highly skilled technical workers from India on H-1B visas. In regards to the Indo-US economic relationship, Bera said that Indian companies need to make it clear why they are important to the US economy, how they create jobs rather than take them away, and why it’s beneficial for the US to do business with and in their country.
Bera is the son of immigrants from Gujarat, who came to the US in 1958. He was raised in California. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of California (UC) at Irvine; in 1991, he received his M.D. from the same institution. After being a practicing doctor for several years, he became Chief Medical Officer for the County of Sacramento. He assumed his current office on January 3rd of this year, where he sits on the Foreign Affairs and Science, Space and Technology Committees in Congress. He has been a huge advocate for breaking bipartisanism in politics, and has been integral in reaching across the aisle in several instances in order to get legislation passed through. He also has refused his Congressional pension on the grounds that he won’t accept it until Medicare and Social Security become available to all Americans.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com