Underlines key problem facing the President.
By Sujeet Rajan
WASHINGTON, DC: U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has come swinging against President Barack Obama for taking only Democrats on the accompanying congressional delegation, on his trip to India.
Royce released this statement, expressing his protest: “President Obama’s trip to India is another chance to reinvigorate one of our most important relationships, one that has unfortunately lagged over the last several years. So it’s very regrettable that the President reportedly is bringing a partisan congressional delegation with him. All Democrats –no Republicans– will travel with the President and represent the Congress in India. There should be no party divide on U.S.-India relations, a point that was made clear to me when I, along with another Republican member of Congress, joined President Clinton in 2000 on his historic trip to India. It has been a bipartisan coalition that has helped bring India to the forefront in Congress, including by passing the U.S.-India civilian nuclear energy cooperation bill. Unfortunately, the Obama Administration’s one-party congressional delegation undermines that spirit of cooperation and accomplishment.”
Royce, however, made it clear that he intends to support the push for stronger Indo-US ties: “Nevertheless, as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I will continue to work with the Administration and Prime Minister Modi’s government to overcome this blunder and forge stronger U.S.-India ties, which are very much in our nation’s interest.”
The congressional delegation, which accompanied Obama on Air Force One, comprised of House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, New York Congressman Joe Crowley, California Congressman Ami Bera and Virginia Senator Mark Warner.
Royce’s protest underlines the greatest obstacle for Obama to actually implement changes he wants in Congress. Leaving out Republicans from a goodwill tour to India, with an eye to further American business interests, will do nothing but leave a sour note within the GOP.
While it has been reported in sections of the Indian media that Obama has used his executive power to make it smoother for American companies to set up nuclear power plants in India, nothing could be further from the truth. It would require congressional action plus some actual signing of executive power by Obama to bring the matter closer to fruition.
In the recent past, the only Republican of note to tour India has been the South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who toured several states, including Punjab, to forge business ties and induce Indian businesses to set up base in her state.
1 Comment
It happens that the people he chose happened to be Democrats. This has nothing to do with partisan politics. Case Closed.