August 01; Washington DC.: Today, the US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) concluded the grassroots campaign launched two months ago urging Speaker John Boehner to schedule a Joint Session of Congress Address by Prime Minister Modi.

Due to the Prime Minister’s brief U.S. sojourn, the intervening U.S. Congressional holiday schedule, and the House of Representatives’ urgency to leave Washington to prepare for the November elections in their home districts, a Joint Session Address by Prime Minister Modi will not take place in September 2014. However, the USINPAC membership came away with an exceptional understanding that the journey – building a case for an enduring bilateral relationship – has been more important than the destination. To this end, USINPAC wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to each and every member of Congress – Senate and House – who have engaged with our membership in this bipartisan effort.

USINPAC extends thanks to Senators Mark Warner, John Cornyn, Tim Kaine, Jim Risch, and the Senate India Caucus, for sponsoring a resolution urging a Joint Session of Congress Address by Prime Minister Modi and noting that this measure is a first in Senate History.

USINPAC extends thanks to Congressmen Joe Crowley, Pete Roskam, and the House India Caucus for writing to, speaking with and urging Speaker John Boehner to schedule a Joint Session Address by Prime Minister Modi. USINPAC extends thanks to Congressmen Brad Sherman, Ted Poe, Eni Faleomavaega for leading the “Dear Colleague” letter urging Speaker Boehner to schedule a Joint Session of Congress Address by Prime Minister Modi.

USINPAC extends thanks individually to the following Members of Congress (in alphabetical order) who signed the Sherman-Poe “Dear Colleague” letter: Joe Barton, Ami Bera, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Gus Bilirakis, Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Mo Brooks, John Campbell, Tony Cardenas, John Carter, Donna Christensen, Judy Chu, David Cicilline, Mike Coffman, Chris Collins, Mike Conaway, Gerald Connolly, Jim Costa, Joe Courtney, Peter DeFazio, Ted Deutch, Eliot Engel, Anna Eshoo, Eni Faleomavaega, Bill Flores, Tulsi Gabbard, John Garamendi, Cory Gardner, Jim Gerlach, Kay Granger, Alan Grayson, Gene Green, Al Green, Michael Grimm, Denny Heck, Jeb Hensarling, Brian Higgins, Mike Honda, Bill Huizenga, Steve Israel, Bill Johnson, David Joyce, Joseph P. Kennedy III, Ron Kind, Peter King, Rick Larsen, Sheila Jackson Lee, Alan Lowenthal, Kenny Marchant, Carolyn B. Maloney, Mark Meadows, Gregory W. Meeks, Grace Meng, Mike Michaud, Randy Neugebauer, Pete Olson, Frank Pallone, Ted Poe, Ed Pastor, Ed Perlmutter, Scott Perry, David Price, Mike Quigley, Dana Rohrabacher, Bobby L. Rush, Loretta Sanchez, Allyson Y. Schwartz, David Schweikert, Pete Sessions, Brad Sherman, Albio Sires, Adam Smith, Lamar Smith, Jackie Speier, Steve Stivers, Steve Stockman, Dina Titus, Michael Turner, Pete Visclosky, Maxine Waters, Tim Walberg, Randy Weber, Roger Williams, and Ted Yoho.

USINPAC extends thanks to Speaker John Boehner for discussing with USINPAC Chairman Sanjay Puri and USINPAC leadership the scheduling challenges for a Joint Session Address by Prime Minister Modi during his upcoming visit to the United States. USINPAC hopes to continue its dialogue with the US Congress in order to support accelerated US-India strategic partnership and an effective working relationship with the new Government in India.

Consistent with the US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) nationwide grassroots campaign, the resolution further outlines a significant road map to a jump start in U.S.-India trade and strategic partnership, including an expedited White House appointment of a new American Ambassador to New Delhi.

USINPAC’s Legislative Team and the organization’s significant grassroots membership, who had participated in extensive Congressional outreach were delighted with the text of the resolution which was made public today.

USINPAC Chairman Sanjay Puri remarked: “I believe that the remarkable election in India and the transition to a new Government there has led the way to a re-energized US-India partnership. The United States Senate made history today since never before has a Senate Resolution asked for a Joint Session of Congress by a Foreign Head-of-State.”

USINPAC Director for US-India LNG Initiative Rahul Sreenivasan, pointed out: “We are proud to be Americans of Indian Heritage and we are looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Modi to the United States.”

At USINPAC’s request, a House Foreign Affairs Committee (Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific) Hearing on the same subject matter is scheduled for July 31, 2014. USINPAC has provided extensive briefings to each of the Senate and House Committees, including a list of subject matter experts who can testify on US-India trade and security relations.

At USINPAC’s request, the House of Representative is circulating A “Dear Colleague Letter” initiated by Congressman Brad Sherman supporting the issuance of an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Modi to address a Joint Session of Congress during his September visit to the United States. Also, at USINPAC’s request, a number of Congressmen have contacted Speaker Boehner directly supporting a Modi address to a Joint Session of Congress.

At USINPAC’s request, a significant Senate Resolution is under review by the Senate Caucus on India and Indian Americans resolving that Prime Minister Narendra Modi be able to address the United States Congress at the earliest opportunity. Since scheduling a Joint Session Address is the jurisdiction of John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representative, Senators reaching out to the Speaker with such a request would be the first such request in the history of the United States Senate.

USINPAC Chairman Sanjay Puri remarked: “A Joint Session of Congress by Indian Prime Ministers follows well established precedence since former PM’s Rajiv Gandhi, Vajpayee, and Singh were accorded this honor. We are delighted about the support from Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, for PM Modi to address a Joint Session of Congress in September.”

USINPAC activists and Chapter Leaders have actively reached out to their Members of Congress urging their support for such a Congressional invitation.

Dr. Prashant Patel, USINPAC North Carolina, commented: “I have urged support from Congressman George Holding (R-NC) and I know that he has submitted an official request to Speaker John Boehner for Mr. Modi to address a Joint Session of Congress in Washington DC. We applaud his unwavering leadership on an issue that is at the heart of such a vibrant Indian-American community not only in his home state of North Carolina but across these United States of America.”

Mr. Vinnie Rao, USINPAC Indiana, noted: “I have urged support from Congressman Todd Rokita (R-IN) because this is the right step to jump start US-India trade and security relations.”

Mr. Aron Govil, USINPAC New York, stated: “I have urged support from Congressman Joe Crowley (D-NY) who is a longtime advocate for stronger US-India bilateral relations and I do believe that he will support a Congressional invitation for PM Modi to address a Joint Session of Congress.”

The Prime Minister’s visit has been confirmed to take place in the last week of September 2014 with the exact itinerary still under discussion. The visit is being billed as a full blown bilateral dialogue with President Obama in Washington, DC rather than a meeting on the side line of the United Nations General Assembly Session in New York City.

USINPAC Chairman Sanjay Puri, commented: “We are thrilled about PM Modi’s first visit to the United States as a Head of State. We remain optimistic about the prospect of jump-starting bilateral dialogue on a number of issues that are of mutual concern to the two nations.”

Washington, DC, April 9 —USINPAC members continue to be very concerned about the facts and findings of the Tom Lantos Commission.

USINPAC Chairman Sanjay Puri stated, “The panel that was queried by house members on Friday chose to ignore the fact that not one Hindu voice was represented in this hearing and they continue to set forth misleading information about the plight of religious minorities in India.”

US Representative Eni F.H. Faleomavaega was concerned about the optics of such a hearing, “I question the Commission’s intent in holding a hearing about the rights and freedoms of religious minorities in India on the cusp of India’s general election.

Answering questions about the Lantos Hearing at a USINPAC event in Northern Virginia on Saturday, US Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI 2nd District) agreed with Representative Faleomavaega and said, “I attended the hearing to provide a balanced perspective (http://bit.ly/1lL7eEK). We speak so much about the shared democratic values with India and yet, this hearing disrespected this friendship. The timing and the focus of the hearing was blatantly directed at trying to influence and impact the India’s election. It is painful to me personally that people would use such a setting to try to incite and foment religious bigotry and sectarian strife against others. This is not the right place for the US Congress to be.”

Puri stated, “USINPAC is in agreement with Representative Faleomavaega, Tulsi and many others who have taken a stand against this hearing and House Resolution 417. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress on important issues that will be fast approaching with the Indian elections already in full swing this week and believe that Members of U.S. Congress should allow the people of India to decide their next Prime Minister.”

13 Feb 2014; Washington D.C.: US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), the leading advocacy organization representing over 3 million Indian Americans in the US appreciated the meeting between US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell and BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. The meeting was part of the US Mission’s outreach to senior leaders of India’s major political parties in advance of the upcoming national elections. During her visit to Gujarat, Ambassador Powell is also scheduled to meet with representatives from non-governmental organizations and US and Indian businesses.

It may be noted that USINPAC in the month of December had successfully led a grassroots lobbying effort in Washington DC to stop H.R 417 from going to the House floor. The resolution intended to influence India’s upcoming elections by focusing on the 2002 Gujarat riots some 11 years after the fact, and was specifically targeted at Mr. Modi. His visa was revoked in 2005 under the provisions of a domestic law on the issue of “severe violations of religious freedom”.

USINPAC Chairman, Sanjay Puri, reacting positively to this meeting said, “With Mr. Modi emerging as the frontrunner for the prime minister’s post, the US could no longer continue with its policy of shunning the person against whom it had clamped a visa ban in the aftermath of the 2002 riots. So, this meeting between Ambassador Powell and Mr. Modi is definitely a step in the right direction.”

08 Dec 2013; Washington DC.: On November 18, 2013, Congressman Joe Pitts and Congressman Frank Wolf introduced H. Res. 417, a Resolution intended to influence India’s upcoming elections by focusing on the 2002 Gujarat riots some 11 years after the fact.

USINPAC (US India Political Action Committee) has successfully led a grassroots lobbying effort in Washington DC to stop the above Resolution from going to the House Floor for a vote.

On December 7, 2013, less than one month after the Resolution’s introduction, Chairman Ed Royce of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to which H. Res. 417 was referred, issued a statement at USINPAC’s request:

“As Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I am focused on the critically important relationship between the United States and India. Our two nations share many common values and strategic interests. India plays a central role in the Asia-Pacific region, and we must do our part to ensure that India is a centerpiece of America’s rebalance to Asia. H. Res. 417 weakens, rather than strengthens, the friendship between the U.S. and India. The resolution runs counter to all the hard work that the American people, particularly those in the Indian American community, have done to improve the relationship.”

On December 5, 2013, days before Chairman Royce released his statement, Chairman Steve Chabot of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, which has broad jurisdiction for U.S. policy affecting the region, withdrew his name as an original cosponsor of H. Res. 417.

On December 2, 2013, Ranking Member Eni Faleomavaega, the top Democrat on the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, released a press statement commending USINPAC for working with key leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives to correct the misinformation put forward by H. Res. 417.

As Ranking Member Faleomavaega noted, H. Res. 417 purports to praise India’s rich religious diversity and commitment to tolerance and equality while reaffirming the need to protect the rights and freedoms of religious minorities. However, rather than praising India, the Resolution focuses on the 2002 Gujarat riots some 11 years after the fact while failing to note that India’s Supreme Court has found no evidence against Mr. Modi.

From now until the elections in India, USINPAC will spare no effort in making sure the U.S. Congress does not intentionally or unintentionally influence the outcome of India’s upcoming elections. India is a sovereign nation and its citizens have a right to choose their leaders.

To read about Ranking Member Eni Faleomavaega’s recent announcement opposing this bill, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/HR417-oppose.

To read the Bill, please visit http://tinyurl.com/HR417-Text