The U.S. India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) was founded in October 2002.
USINPAC first set up base in Washington D.C. in the year 2003 before it spread its wings and started its operations in New Delhi in the year 2005. The main reason behind the formation of USINPAC was to present a unified voice to the Congress and impact policies that concern the Indian-American community.
USINPAC was founded because there was a need for the Indian-American community to present a unified and consistent voice to the Congress. USINPAC also began working closely with other Indian-American organizations to promote fair and balanced policies, and create a platform to enable the entry of Indian-Americans in the political process.
One of the most significant events in USINPAC’s history was its success in impacting the passage into law of the US-India civilian nuclear cooperation agreement in 2008. USINPAC was at the forefront of advocating and lobbying the U.S. Congress and Indian policy-makers from the deal’s inception in 2005.
Over the last ten years, USINPAC has consistently worked to influence policy decisions and act as a watchdog for Indian-Americans. The following are some highlights of USINPAC’s achievements over the years:
2010: Popular TV Host Glenn Beck lashed out at the River Ganges in India and Indian Physicians. USINPAC launched a campaign by publicly asking him to apologize by pressuring his network and his advertisers. The next day Glenn Beck apologized for his remarks.
2008: USINPAC wrote to Candidate Obama following the release of a campaign document where he questioned the loyalty of Indian-American supporters of Senator Clinton to the US. USINPAC also launched a campaign in the key states of Iowa and New Hampshire which resulted in his calling and apologizing to the USINPAC Chairman and writing a letter of apology to USINPAC.
2006: USINPAC members immediately met with Senator George Allen after he called an Indian-American campaign worker of his opponent “Macaca.” This meeting led to Senator Allen apologizing on national television. USINPAC then led a campaign to garner support for his opponent and launched a voter turnout mission for his opponent which resulted in a loss for Senator Allen.
George Allen introduces Macaca
George Allen claims he “Made Up” Macaca (Macaque)
In 2004 & 2005, USINPAC advocated against a bill introduced by Congressman Tom Tancredo to eliminate the H-1B visa program. USINPAC’s efforts played a key role in this bill and other similar bills that failed to gain traction in the Congress.
In 2004, USINPAC’s advocacy resulted in the U.S. House of Representatives asking the State Department to submit a report. This report demonstrated Pakistani cooperation in safeguarding against and combating WMD proliferation, in identifying the size and stockpile of Pakistani fissile materials, and summarized the Pakistani efforts to combat terrorism, dismantle terrorist camps, and strengthen democratic institutions. USINPAC’s efforts also led the Congress to acknowledge for the first time Pakistan’s support for Jihadi terrorism against India.
