The bill received bipartisan support, with 10 Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, crossing party lines in a key procedural vote
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The Senate passed a bill Friday, March 14 evening to fund the government into the fall, avoiding a shutdown just hours before a midnight deadline. The stopgap measure, which funds the government through September 30, now heads to the desk of President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it.
Earlier, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and nine others crossed party lines to advance the bill in a key procedural vote, despite intensifying pressure from across the Democratic Party. The bill passed by a vote of 54 to 46.
Earlier in the week, top House Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, led a fierce whip operation against the bill, ultimately losing just one of their members on the vote. But it was not enough to sink the bill, which passed the House Tuesday.
Jeffries would not answer Friday, March 14, when asked whether he had lost confidence in Schumer, with whom he diverged on the funding issue. “Next question,” Jeffries told reporters.
Trump praised Schumer for announcing he would support the measure. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to vote against the bill.
Outside of Schumer’s leadership team, many Senate Democrats as well as House Democrats are seething at his move, which they saw as a capitulation in the party’s first real leverage point in Trump’s second term.
The Senate Democratic leader has argued his party had only bad options when it came to shutting down the government – possibly for months – to challenge Trump, or accepting a GOP bill that Democrats have warned would cut spending to programs like veterans’ health care or Washington, DC, firefighters and police.
“I believe it is the best way to minimize the harm that the Trump administration will do to the American people,” Schumer argued in defense of his decision during remarks on the Senate floor. “Clearly, this is a Hobson’s choice. The CR is a bad bill, but as bad as the CR is, I believe allowing Donald Trump to take even much more power via a government shutdown is a far worse option.”
Republicans and Democrats must now negotiate a time agreement to vote on final passage of the package before the midnight deadline, all while Schumer and his leadership continue to face intense anger from the Democratic base.
The initial vote, while procedural, had been closely watched by Democrats across the country, who saw it as a test of their party leaders’ willingness to fight Trump.
At the urging of prominent Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, voters had been flooding senators’ offices with calls urging them to block the bill and take on Trump for his dismantling of the federal government. Ultimately, many Democrats believe, Schumer failed that test.
The New York Democrat’s strategy has faced fierce blowback from all corners of the Democratic Party, including in his own chamber, though no senators have publicly said they would challenge his leadership over the move.
(Source: CNN)
2000+ Turbans tied on people to educate about the significance of the Turban
A group of turbaned happy young ladies at Times Square Turban Day festival on May 6.A turbaned Chuck Schumer with organizers.
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Ritu Saluja told The Indian Panorama that “Turban is a Sikh’s crown and stands for Equality, Justice, and Humanity. We celebrated Turban Day this year on May 06 at Times Square, as an expression of Sikh faith and commitment to serve humanity. The purpose of organizing this event every year is to bring awareness among all citizens about Turban and its value in Sikh faith.” Tanu Singh added : “Considering the unfortunate discrimination and hate crimes faced by Sikhs who wear or tie turbans, we believe that it is more important than ever to break down barriers between different communities. This event represents a unique opportunity to tackle these issues and unite people in the spirit of respect and education.”
The turban is an integral part of Sikh identity and has been worn by Sikhs for centuries. It not only represents the core values of our faith, but also signifies the responsibility to protect the rights of all individuals, regardless of their background, race, or religion. By participating in Turban Day, people who might not know can learn more about the importance of the Sikh turban.
A young lady looks into a mirror as a Sikh police officer ties a turban on her head.
To support this event and Sikh community in America, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York took to the stage and shared his views on how Sikh community has always been an integral part of the American society “We love the Sikh community, and it is a beautiful community. We welcome you as New Yorker’s and as Americans. You work hard, you believe in family, you have a great faith, and you help build and create our great community” He mentioned about passing the Asian Anti Hate crime bill to prosecute any action of hate, bigotry, and violence. He showed his solidarity to the Sikh community by wearing the Turban and shook a leg to famous Punjabi music.
A bemused young turbaned kid in a pram holds a book on Turban.
Besides tying more than 2000 colorful turbans on any fellow human coming from any background, skin color, religion and status, there were multiple artists from the Sikh community showcasing their culture and heritage.
Young musicians from the Sikh Symphony California performed 31 ragas in 13 different taals (beats) using multiple Indian classical string instruments such as sitar, rabab, taus and tabla.
A turbaned mother and her turbaned child pose for a photograph.
Musician Biba Singh performed some popular numbers and multiple artists performed Bhangra and folk dance Gidda bringing attendees together to dance and enjoy music. Famous Bollywood artist Manmeet Singh (actor/writer/director) had a message for everyone “For a Sikh the Turban represents love, hard work and humility. When seen from away, for anyone in distress it indicates that they can come to a Sikh and seek help and support and no matter what the situation is they will be assisted”
Turban Day at Times Square is organized by Turban Day Inc. and is the largest turban tying event in the world.
“We have been running this event since 2016 and have tied more than 20,000 turbans over the years with the goal of educating more people. We firmly believe that knowledge and understanding are the most effective tools for combatting discrimination and building bridges between communities”, said Ritu Saluja. For any further queries contact: Tanu Singh or Ritu Saluja at contact@turbanday.org Follow us on: https://turbanday.org/ https://www.instagram.com/sikhsofny/ https://www.youtube.com/@TurbanDay
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said of the Sikh community : “We love the Sikh community, and it is a beautiful community.”Young musicians from the Sikh Symphony California performed 31 ragas in 13 different taals (beats)Artists performing Bhangra.Milling crowds spilling enthusiasm.A rare distinction: Guinness Book record for “the most turbans tied in 8 hours”.
NEW YORK (TIP): The Association of Indians in America (AIA National) hosted 25th Honor Banquet and the celebration of the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence at a beautiful venue at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows Park, New York. The celebration of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence was in keeping with the Indian Government’s yearlong celebrations. The Honor Banquet was attended by 250 distinguished AIA members and esteemed guests in a sold house. The Honor Banquet was graced by the presence of US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Mayor of New York City Mr. Eric Adams. Consul General of India at New York Randhir Jaiswal graced the occasion as Chief guest. He was accompanied by his wife Dr Abha Jaiswal. NYS Assemblywoman Jennifer Rajkumar also graced the occasion.
The program started with invocation and American & Indian National Anthem followed by classical dance performance by Maheshwari Jagabattula on A.R. Rahman’s Vande Mataram song.
Mayor Eric Adams exhorted the gathering to fully participate in the political system by getting registered to vote
AIA National President Gobind Munjal in his remarks thanked his dedicated team in making this 25th Honor Banquet a grand success. He talked about India’s culture and values and the progress made by Indian Americans to fully assimilate in the mainstream America. He remarked,” Indians in America bring distinct vision, values, needs and goals and we and our next generations should fully assimilate and participate in the political system and take active role in shaping the future of this great country.” AIA honored two very distinguished individuals with “Honor Award” for their outstanding achievements.
Among the Individuals honored were:
Padma Bhushan Arvind Panagariya, Ph.D. Professor of Economics and Jagdish Bhagwati Professor of Indian Political Economy in the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University since January 2004. From January 2015 to August 2017, he served as the first Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog, Government of India think tank. He in his keynote speech outlined India’s journey for the upcoming 25 years.
The other honoree was Ms Renu Khator, Ph. D, Chancellor and President of the University of Houston, Texas. She has broken boundaries and glass ceilings, as she became the first female chancellor in the state of Texas and the first Indian immigrant to lead a comprehensive research university in the U.S.
Consul General Randhir Jaiswal spoke about further strengthening the relationship and ties between India and United States of America.
Honor Award presented to Arvind Panagariya.
Senate majority Leader Chuck Schumer in his remarks said that he wants to share a few takeaways from his trip to India that impact America’s national security and economic future of both countries. India and America are natural allies, as the two biggest democratic countries in a world filled with tension and warfare. He went on to say that India is an amazing – incredible country and was enthralled by it. He remarked “Our partnership has a huge potential for growth in the 21st century.”
Honor Award presented to Renu Khatore.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams in his remarks said “I like the Indian culture, tradition, values, the education and close family system and I like you to retain and enrich mainstream America. I also want you to fully participate in the political system by getting everybody to register to vote and put forward candidates to have your voice heard.” Banquet Committee Chair, Dr Buddhadev Manvar thanked everyone for making today’s celebrations a huge success. Chair, Board of Trustees Dr Samin Sharma congratulated AIA National President and the team for executing such an exciting and hugely successful Honor Banquet and congratulated the Honorees. A plaque was presented to Mount Sinai COO Mr. Jonathan Kyriacou. The evening was filled with a lot of enthusiasm and a sumptuous dinner. Live Band entertained the guests, and everybody was danc ing. Nilima Madan and Gunjan Rastogi as co-masters of ceremony perfectly executed the evening.The Association of Indians in America (AIA) is the oldest not-for-profit organization of Asian Indians established in 1967. It is the grassroots national organization of Asian immigrants in the United States. With chapters and membership spread across the United States of America, AIA represents the hopes and aspirations of those immigrants who are united by their common bond of Indian Heritage and American Commitment.
A captivating dance performance by Maheshwari Jagabattula.A plaque is presented to Mayor Eric Adams.AIA Committee.
For more details, please visit our website www.aianational.org
NEW YORK (TIP): Indian American community leaders virtually met Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on March 13, 2023.
The meeting was organized by Dr Raj Bhayani, Mohinder Taneja, Sunil Modi, Dr Sunil Mehra and Govind Bathija.
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, Consul General Randhir Jaiswal, Dr Sudhir Parikh, Dr Raj Narayan, Dr Raj Jinna, Bobby Kalotee and Dr Mihir Meghani along with 200 Indian leaders joined the meeting with the senator.
Dr Raj Bhayani, Sunil Modi and Mohinder Taneja moderated the meeting and welcomed the Senate Majority Leader.
Mr. Schumer updated about his India visit two weeks back. He was happy about his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He applauded various programs initiated by Modi government such as gas connections and easy remote internet access empowering rural India.
He led one of the most powerful United States Delegation to India along with eight senators and several other leaders as part of the US delegation to India. Several initiatives were launched and stronger U.S. India ties were emphasized in view of the rising Chinese threat.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said ties between the U.S. and India are a “crucial counterweight to outcompete China”
Among the countries’ shared strategic interests, Schumer listed “outcompeting China, combating climate change, increasing trade and deepening bonds between our two countries” as well as “close cooperation between the U.S. and India in areas such as AI, green hydrogen and advanced tech manufacturing.”
The delegation visited several sites such as Raj Ghat in Delhi and Jaipur Foot in Jaipur and had dinner hosted by Anand Mahindra, apart from various joint meetings with Indian government.
“I strongly believe the continued and strengthened U.S.-India relationship will be the great story that will define the 21st century,” Schumer said. In reply to Dr. Bhayani’s questions, the Majority Leader promised to reverse the Medicare cuts this year. And he assured that green card backlog will be cleared soon. He believes high skilled workers such as physicians should be given direct green cards instead of H1 or J1 visa and he will work on making it happen. At the conclusion of meeting the Majority Leader promised that we will have such meetings every quarter to strengthen Indo US relationship and to address concerns of Indian Americans in USA.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The White House on Tuesday, January 17, insisted that the looming debt ceiling crisis be dealt with without conditions and there is no room for negotiations on this.
“This should not be political brinkmanship. We should be dealing with the debt ceiling without conditions. It is important. We’re not going to work our way around this; we’re not going to negotiate on this. This is the basic duty of Congress,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference.
In the last administration, the Democrats and Republicans were able to deal with the debt limit three times. “Let’s not forget that,” she said. Last week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a letter to Congress raised the red flag on an imminent debt crisis. Given the sharp differences between the ruling Democrats and the opposition Republicans, who enjoy a majority in the House of Representatives, not handling the issue on time might result in the United States defaulting on its debt commitment, which has never happened in the past.
Republicans have so far insisted on not raising the debt limit which currently is USD 31.381 trillion as approved by Congress last month. This debt limit is the total amount of money that the US government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations and is scheduled to reach its statutory limit on January 19. The United States is the only industrialized nation to have such an arbitrary institution as a debt ceiling, but the players who keep ending up in the same standoff aren’t exactly looking to kill it, Time magazine said Tuesday.
The New York Times warned that a default would most likely rattle markets and carry big risks, no matter how the Federal Reserve and Treasury try to curb the fallout. In her letter to the Congressional leadership, Yellen asserted that it is “critical that Congress act in a timely manner to increase or suspend the debt limit”. Failure to meet the government’s obligations would cause irreparable harm to the US economy, the livelihoods of all Americans, and global financial stability, she warned.
Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is a Democrat, has called for an increase in the debt limit. “If we don’t raise the debt ceiling, we’ll go into default, and only one default is enough to nuke the economy,” he said.
Opposing an increase in the debt limit, Republican Congressman Ralph Norman, said that USD31.4 trillion, is a massive amount of debt. “The government owes this money because politicians in Washington simply will not stop spending. This has been the case for decades, and Republicans are just as much to blame as Democrats,” he said.
“We’ll have to see how negotiations play out, but the bottom line is this: Republicans need to see some degree of incremental spending cuts in these debt ceiling negotiations. An agreement without some reasonable cuts is unacceptable,” Norman said.
“Our national debt is approaching a level not just harmful to economic growth and irresponsible to future generations, but dangerous to our national security today. We are entering treacherous waters and must couple any debt ceiling increases with real reforms,” said Congresswoman Victoria Spartz.
“Huge amounts of politically directed spending and crony capitalism have created a significant oligopoly problem in nearly every market sector – not much different from oligarchs ruling in post-socialist countries,” she said.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a joint statement said that the Congress must act on legislation to prevent a disastrous default, meet America’s your obligations and protect its full faith and credit.
“A default forced by extreme MAGA Republicans could plunge the country into a deep recession and lead to even higher costs for America’s working families on everything from mortgages and car loans to credit card interest rates,” they said.
“America pays its debts. Period. There should be no political brinkmanship with the debt limit. It’s reckless for Speaker McCarthy and MAGA Republicans to try and use the full faith and credit of the United States as a political bargaining chip. A default would be catastrophic for America’s working families and lead to higher costs,” Schumer said in another statement.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Senate Republicans blocked legislation Friday, May 28, that would have launched a 9/11-style commission on the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol, affirming they want to turn the page on the dark chapter in American history despite pleas for action from family members of a police officer killed in the riot, a Daily News report, May 28 said.
The bill, which passed the House earlier this month with unusually broad bipartisan support, was derailed in a 54-35 procedural vote that would have cleared the way for the Senate to begin debate on the measure.
Even though a majority of senators voted for the bill — including six Republicans — the chamber’s filibuster rule requires that most legislation receive the support of at least 60 members to succeed. The failed Jan. 6 commission vote marks the first GOP filibuster of Joe Biden’s presidency and is certain to ignite a debate over the need to abolish or reform the arcane rule.
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s Democratic majority leader, charged that the commission quashing makes the Republicans complicit in former President Donald Trump’s false insistence that Biden’s election was illegitimate — the same lie that spurred a far-right mob to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6.
“What are you afraid of? The truth? Are you afraid Donald Trump’s big lie will be dispelled? Are you afraid that all of the misinformation that has poured out will be rebutted by a bipartisan, down-the-middle commission?” Schumer said on Senate floor before the vote. “This is about a democracy. This is about the future of our democracy. The big lie has eroded that democracy, and we must do everything we can to rebut it.”
Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, Schumer’s Republican counterpart, pushed his members to block the bill because he claimed Democrats would use the commission to trash talk his party ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
Despite McConnell’s criticism, the commission would have consisted of 10 members, evenly appointed by both parties, with the stated goal of making sure a tragedy like Jan. 6 could never happen again.
The now-blocked bill was the product of bipartisan negotiations in the House between New York Rep. John Katko and Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, respectively the top Republican and Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee.
To ensure its bipartisan nature, Thompson agreed to let the commission’s subpoena power be shared between the parties, which is unusual.
Family members of Brian Sicknick, the U.S. Capitol Police officer who died after being attacked by Trump supporters on Jan. 6, pleaded with McConnell and his caucus this week to reconsider, even meeting with several Republican senators on Thursday, May 27.
“It’s very disturbing that anyone would not want to support this. Why would they not want to get to the bottom of such horrific violence?” Sandra Garza, Sicknick’s partner, told reporters in between meetings Thursday. “Just boggles my mind.”
Re: “Open Letter” – in re as Covid19 Tsunami ravages India, the need for the “raw truth” of this lab-created biowarfare agent is now necessary to fabricate more-accurate vaccines that can disarm the ever-mutating strains of SARS-CoV2, which if not disarmed, this virulent ever-more deadly mutating-disease can eliminate humanity globally.
Honorable P.M. Modi : As an un-conflicted American, having migrated from India at the age of seven (7), I spent four-plus years in Hong Kong and learned to love and admire the Chinese culture, although, Confucius has gotten wiser as I have aged as a happy New Yorker. Your early leadership with a strong “Lockdown” of India was a global example of a government honoring its duty to protect the public health. Given the sudden Covid19-mutated strain’s tsunami ravaging India, I write to you, because now, protecting and curing all the people across the world must be Job 1.
It is not a time for political advantage or even seeking compensatory damages, as it is now becoming clear that this lab-created virus can become an existential threat to humanity globally, and those who dream of building new empires will have nothing to dominate or rule over. Instead, India’s experience – a year after we were overwhelmed – speaks to a need for an international all-nations’ effort to disarm this biowarfare agent with President Xi’s help – using a form of Truth & Reconciliation Commission which grants legal immunity for “whole truth disclosure” – so scientists can get immediate access to all the creative knowledge, documents and lab variant-samples about this out-of-control PLA-Lab created weapon. This is much worse than a nuclear weapons threat, as its out of control, and its infection capability makes every person and animal on earth vulnerable, and rendering current vaccines potentially ineffective.
Disclaimer
As an open disclaimer, I see life thru an American Lens, given that human follies are well splashed across the pages of history, I am resoundingly certain of American Exceptionalism, structurally embedded in our founding Declaration and Constitution, with each American duty-bound to help “form a more perfect union” – not shaken, until our insurrection of January 6th.
That I successfully intervened, as requested by India, in the shameful auction of Mahatma Gandhi’s items in New York and had the items respectfully returned to India; successfully defended Krittika Biswas’ honor and won in every federal court and won the highest award for a false arrest and for a night in jail – an effort I was supported in by the now-late great Queens D.A. Judge Richard Brown, Rep. Gray Ackerman and, most effectively, by Senator Chuck Schumer; and, inter alia, successfully represented the Indian National Congress and the Hon. Sonia Gandhi in U.S. Federal courts regarding the painful “1984 Riots” and helped create a legal precedent, that India, like the United States with inter alia our unconstitutional Japanese-American Internment during WWII, has the right to fix her own mistakes without our meddling in her internal affairs. By so doing, I enhanced the bilateral relationship between our two great nations, which you later described in your pivotal Joint Address to Congress as “indivisible.” That exact relationship, I have always seen as our “Joint Destiny,” given the pull and push of history: Indian tea starred in the 1773 Boston Tea Party, and Lord Cornwallis, after losing to General George Washington, upon arriving as Viceroy of India ordered 5,000 Indian men, women and children be put to death for his American loss, and proceeded to rule with an “Iron Fist.” A Fist that never unclasped, until Mahatma Gandhi. And, Dr. Ambedkar, Columbia Law-educated, authored India’s Constitution, deeply informed by ours from 1787.
During the last decade, my incredible wife, Ranju, then-chair of the Diwali Stamp Project, spent seven (7) years seeking a United States Postal Service Diwali Stamp, and got help from many persons, but none more than Rep. Carolyn Maloney, then-Amb. Hardeep Singh Puri, then-ASG Lakshmi Puri, Rep. Grace Meng, then-Rep. Eliot L. Engel, Rep. Greg Meeks, and inter alia, then India’s New York-based CG Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay who wrote the Official poem for the Diwali Stamp Project. Indeed, Ranju asked and received from you – your support for the Diwali Stamp during your UNGA visit – as she did and received from then-President Obama. Ranju’s achievement was immortal, as the Diwali Stamp successfully dedicated on October 5, 2016 was a USPS “Forever” stamp, and Ranju made personal history by selling over 170,000 stamps for Day One, beating Batman, and making the Diwali Stamp #1 in USPS history. Indeed, your 2016 Diwali Message contained a clip of that Stamp Dedication, which serves to enhance our bilateral relations forever. Indeed, the United Nations has celebrated that achievement with 24 nations coming together to honor Ranju, and now, Ranju, as chair of the Diwali Foundation USA, bestows Power of One awards, aka Oscars of Diplomacy, on exceptional world class diplomats who personify the highest ideals of the United Nations Charter and enhance global peace & security.
More recently, I was invited by then-Chairman Eliot L. Engel of House Foreign Affairs Committee to testify on October 22, 2019 regarding Kashmir, and inter alia, issued: an apology for advocating “restraint” after India’s November 26th (akin to our 9/11); and India’s right to enact Section 370, and to restore normalcy as soon as public safety was secured. Indeed, on January 9, 2020, during our historic reception in the actual HFAC Room for strong US-India ties and celebrating Congress, your distinguished Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, with now-Joint Secretary Sandeep Chakravorty in attendance, showed pictures of a 16-nations’ strong ambassadorial visit to Kashmir earlier that day – a fact I celebrated then and there in Congress, which included, Rep. Brad Sherman and Chairman Eliot L. Engel participating.
SARS-CoV2 aka Covid-19 aka Wuhan Virus – Case Cracked on April 14, 2020: Lab-Created
With that truncated disclaimer out of the way, and with God’s Grace, I and my family survived Covid19 on or about March 29, 2020. Treating this Virus as a cancer case that I needed to crack, and after learning biochemistry and epidemiology during an intense effort, I did so, and a year ago, on April 14, 2020, I wrote a 6-page “Open Letter” to then-President Trump, Speaker Pelosi and then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (“OL”; copy enclosed, with uniform spelling of “Wuhan”), and for POTUS, emailed it to a former Marine: Deputy NSA Matt Pottinger at 8:31pm. In the OL, I had the science, the facts, and recommendations, including, bringing our “supply chains” home. The next day, April 15, 2020, about 1 p.m. the United States opened a preliminary investigation into inter alia the origin of SARS-CoV2 from PLA-run Wuhan Virology Lab, and the motives of CCP China in causing its global-spread without sounding a pandemic-alarm directly or thru the WHO. I remain grateful for the start of the April 15, 2020 “all hands on deck” Investigation. I have since, written an Open Letter to President Joesph R. Biden Jr. on April 13, 2021 (copy enclosed).
It remains an open secret that my analysis was and is correct, and that this is a lab-created Frankenstein that transplanted the “Spike Glycoprotein(S)” (“Spike”) from Bats – a unique feature in bats, as they are either “cold” or “warm” blooded, and still, a warm Bat can procreate with a cold Bat due to the “Spike.” OL at 3. I called “Covid19,” aka “WuhanVirus,” a Trojan Horse, as its Spike feature does not cause our immune system to sound an alarm upon infection (and the T-cells remain asleep). Disturbingly, China has not turned over, to this day, the genome of Patient Zero who was admitted in Wuhan hospital on or about December 1, 2019, while a different protein string-virus was released on or about December 31, 2019 at the Wuhan Wet Market. The animal farms about a 1000 miles away from Wuhan, did not experience a Covid19 outbreak, thereby decimating the WHO’s coddled-team’s report, after a 3-hour chaperoned visit to the Wuhan Virology lab, falsely asserting a zoonotic virus jump from animal to human. Natural viruses mutate to become safe and un-hurtful. This Virus is mutating serially, as if it was a multi-stage ICBM, becoming more and more dangerous as it continues to exist.
WHO dishonored its high fiduciary obligations, and did not promptly alert the leaders of every nation that a pandemic was afoot and ask to lock-down China. President Trump said we were fighting an invisible enemy. I disagree. The Virus is surely invisible, but this string of protein, despite its lab-based default programing, has no animus towards us and does not benefit by causing death and destruction – and by my last count, our needlessly dead far exceed our losses at Pearl Harbor.
Despite Truth-in-Labeling laws, China, run by 100 years’ celebrating CCP, has succeeded in blocking this Virus from being origin-labeled by deeming origin-labeling to be racist. But, it’s not a fight over labeling.
Only Solution: Disarm Covid19
I now write to you – as my views have changed and evolved – as even war will not stop this mutated-variant’s tsunami that is ravaging India from jumping to other nations, even as travel restrictions are imposed on India, as we have gotten earlier variants despite best efforts to block travel. Indeed, re-visiting my prior conversation with China’s distinguished Foreign Minister Wang Yi suggests – that while I wanted a Little War in 2017 due to events in South China Sea, as in a stitch in time saves nine (a la nine dashes) – whereas he did not, as he clearly said. FM Wang, I believe, with President Xi’s change of heart, can be an asset for a new just and honorable peace for all: rejuvenate the world.
Diplomacy is always needed, even to arrange a surrender to end a war. Now, after India being ravaged by mutated variants, with other nations to follow, this ICBM of a virus must be disarmed ASAP with Biowarfare Codes only China can share. It has been reported that President Xi, whom I consider to be at least as much an exceptional mastermind as Chairman Mao was, if not more, has asked his diplomatic corps to unsheathe their swords to be Wolf Warriors – a function or definition that defies diplomacy, even as it weaponizes it.
How to Disarm Covid19 – Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s TRC
I urge you, as the champion of India’s sovereignty and chief protector of her citizens’ public health and safety, as well as a vital member of the “Quad,” and SCO, run by a dear friend Dr. Vladimir Norov as its Secretary General, to change our geopolitical matrix from competitive, adversarial and crime and punishment, to a restorative formula from South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission – so we can move forward collectively as a human family, and disarm this Virus of an ICBM.
South Africa was critical in MKG becoming a Mahatma. Perhaps, if you can get President Xi to share “nuclear codes” of this virus-ICBM to disarm it, more than Nobel Peace prizes will be awarded; prayers and blessings of humanity across India and the globe will follow for saving millions of people, who will otherwise continue to die from this ever-mutating Death Virus. India has a reputation throughout many millennia of being the land of peace. China is currently President of the UNSC, charged with enhancing global peace & security. If you can get President Xi to join you in peace-building the future, the “Rejuvenation” he seeks, will come with Confucius’ ultimate blessed wish: “May you live in boring times.”
Respectfully,
/s/
Ravi Batra
(Ravi Batra is a New York based attorney. He has earlier written open letters on the issue to President Trump (https://www.theindianpanorama.news/opinion/open-letter-donald-trump-covid-19-tsunami-ravages-india/), and President Biden (https://www.theindianpanorama.news/opinion/open-letter-us-president-joe-biden-covid-19-tsunami-ravages-india/) -Editor.
WASHINGTON (TIP): The US Senate would go through a rare procedure to discharge a nomination from the judiciary committee for Indian American lawyer Vanita Gupta to serve as Associate Attorney General, a senior lawmaker said on Thursday, April 15.
If confirmed, Ms. Gupta, 46, would be the first woman of color to serve as Associate Attorney General, which is the third-ranking official at the powerful Department of Justice.
Senate Majority Leader senator Chuck Schumer had to file this rare motion of discharge because the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 25 voted her nomination 11-11. The discharge motion would allow a full Senate vote on her nomination. “This afternoon, the Senate will need to go through a rare procedure to discharge a nomination from the Judiciary Committee… Miss Vanita Gupta to serve as Associate Attorney General,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “The daughter of immigrants from India, Miss Gupta is the first woman of color to ever be nominated for Associate Attorney General, the third-ranking official at the Department of Justice. Her public track record is nothing short of exemplary,” Schumer said before a bitterly divided Senate. Given that the 100-member Senate is equally divided among Republicans and the Democrats with 50 seats each, the ruling party now depends on Vice President Kamala Harris to break the tie in favor of Ms. Gupta.
Later in the day, Schumer is expected to make a motion to proceed to Executive Session in order to move to discharge the nomination of Gupta to be Associate Attorney General from the Committee on the Judiciary and the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote relative to that motion.
There will then be up to four hours of debate on the motion to discharge the Gupta nomination from the Committee on the Judiciary. The Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the motion to discharge the Gupta nomination from the Committee on the Judiciary.
Schumer said Ms. Gupta will make an outstanding Associate Attorney General. The Senate should discharge her nomination from the Judiciary Committee this afternoon, he said.
“In her very first case after law school, Ms. Gupta won the release of several African-Americans who had been wrongly convicted by all-white juries in Texas, clients who eventually won a pardon from Texas Governor Rick Perry. She continued her work at the ACLU, where she launched a bipartisan criminal justice reform effort, before going on to lead the civil rights division of the Justice Department under President Obama,” the senator said. Schumer rued that despite her sterling credentials, some Republicans on the Judiciary Committee would have them believe that Ms. Gupta is some hair-raising, left-wing radical. “In her hearing, Gupta was unfortunately subjected to a mind-numbingly repetitious line of questioning about whether or not she supports the police or wants to decriminalize all drugs. A conservative judicial organization launched a national ad campaign to smear her nomination. It was disgraceful,” Schumer said.
In a statement, Wade Henderson – interim president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights urged the Senate to confirm the nomination of Gupta. “Vanita Gupta is exactly the leader we need in this role at this critical moment for our country. Now is not the time for baseless and harmful partisan tactics. With broad support that crosses ideological divides, Gupta is a consensus builder who will bring vital civil rights and racial justice experience to the Justice Department. The country needs Ms. Gupta and her experience in this important role now, and the Senate must take swift and immediate action to confirm her,” Henderson added.
Compensation Is Due from China; and If We Were Pearl Harbored, Then Reparations too- Ravi Batra
New York based attorney Ravi Batra, on 14thApril 2020 wrote an open letter to then President Trump making out a case against China for the pandemichavoc, which has taken away millions of lives, created terrible health issues, and ruined the global economy. Mr. Batra called upon President Trump to demand from China due compensation from China for causing colossal losses in terms of men and material to America and Americans, and additionally, if China Pearl Harbored America, reparations. A year later, Mr. Batra wrote an open letter to President Biden repeating his accusation against China and asking the US President to demand due compensation, and reparation, if required.
We are publishing here Mr. Batra’s open letter to President Biden, without editing it. -EDITOR
“April 13, 2021
H.E. Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
President of the United States of America
H.E. Nancy Pelosi
Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
H.E. Chuck Schumer
Majority Leader, U.S. Senate
Re: 1 Year after My April 14, 2020 “Open Letter” – M/O Novel Coronavirus Aka Covid19 Aka “2019-n-CoV” or “2019-nCoV” – Compensation Is Due from China; and If We Were Pearl Harbored, Then Reparations too.
Honorable President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Schumer:
As an un-conflicted American, I love and admire the Chinese culture; always have, and find Confucius wiser as I age. With God’s Grace I and my family survived Covid19 on or about March 29, 2020. Treating this Virus as a cancer case that I needed to crack, and after learning biochemistry and epidemiology during an intense effort, I did so, and a year ago, on April 14, 2020, I wrote a 6-page “Open Letter” to then-President Trump, Speaker Pelosi and then-Senate Majority Leader (“OL”; copy enclosed, with uniform spelling of “Wuhan”), and for POTUS, emailed it to a former Marine: Deputy NSA Matt Pottinger at 8:31pm. In the OL, I had the science, the facts, and recommendations, including, bringing our “supply chains” home. The next day, April 15, 2020, about 1 p.m. the United States opened a preliminary investigation into inter alia the origin of SARS-CoV2 from PLA-run Wuhan Virology Lab, and the motives of CCP China in causing its global-spread without sounding a pandemic-alarm directly or thru the WHO. I remain grateful for the start of the April 15, 2020 “all hands-on deck” Investigation.
It remains an open secret that my analysis was and is correct, and that this is a lab-created Frankenstein that transplanted the “Spike Glycoprotein(S)” (“Spike”) from Bats – a unique feature in bats, as they are either “cold” or “warm” blooded, and still, a warm Bat can procreate with a cold Bat due to the “Spike.” OL at 3. I called “Covid19,” aka “Wuhan Virus,” a Trojan Horse, as its Spike feature does not cause our immune system to sound an alarm upon infection (and the T-cells remain asleep). Disturbingly, CCP has not turned over, to this day, the genome of Patient Zero who was admitted in Wuhan hospital on or about December 1, 2019, while a different protein string-virus was released on or about December 31, 2019 at the Wuhan Wet Market. The animal farms about 1000 miles away from Wuhan, did not experience a Covid19 outbreak, thereby decimating the WHO’s coddled-team’s report, after a 3-hour chaperoned visit to the Wuhan Virology lab, falsely asserting a virus jump from an animal to a human.
WHO dishonored its high fiduciary obligations, and did not promptly alert the leaders of every nation that a pandemic was afoot and ask to lock-down CCP’s China. President Trump said we were fighting an invisible enemy. I disagree; the cascading events in just the South China Sea – from creating Mischief Reef, to sinking of Filipino Fishing boats with Fishermen to their death, to sinking Vietnamese Fishing boats, to the recent squatting of 245 Chinese Militia ships, lashed together to appear as part of “9-Dashes” in Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone – are in violation of inter alia the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”). The Virus is surely invisible, but this string of protein, despite its lab-based default programing, has no animus towards us and does not benefit by causing death and destruction – and by my last count, our needlessly dead well exceed our losses at Pearl Harbor. A substantial question arises: is Covid19 a biowarfare agent? The death and destruction we have suffered suggests a motivated animus, which is a human phenomenon that renders us unworthy in the eyes of God.
Despite Truth-in-Labeling laws, CCP has succeeded in blocking this Virus from being origin-labeled by deeming it racist. Our misguided citizens criminally attacking innocent law-abiding Asian-Americans has provided cover, while shaming us as a nation that celebrates diversity, and staining E Pluribus Unum. Our shameful chapter of interning innocent and loyal Japanese-Americans during WWII, when we did no such thing to German-Americans while fighting Nazi Germany, is a lesson we need to learn perpetually, exactly, as Kristallnacht teaches: remember always. It is a singularly important ingredient in our effort to form a more perfect union – a point recently well made by Secretary Blinken in Anchorage.
I write to seek from you dear and respected President Biden, given your distinguished tenure and natural God-given abilities – a clear American policy – both as to our injury from Covid19 and holding the sending-nation reasonably responsible (turnover all biomedical information, indemnify our losses, etc.), and to restore global peace and security, by avoiding a war if we can. Indeed, pre-Covid19, troubled by the years-long effort by China to create Mischief Reef into a military base, in September 2017, I had a respectful conversation with China’s distinguished FM Wang Yi, which in sum and substance, I explained the above facts and said, you are inviting a little war now or a big war later, and since I don’t like wars, I prefer a little war now. Minister Wang, with concern, immediately responded: No war! No war!, and left to end this conversation.
Diplomacy is always needed, even to arrange a surrender to end a war. It has been reported that President Xi, whom I consider to be at least as much an exceptional mastermind as Chairman Mao was, if not more, has asked his diplomatic corps to unsheathe their swords to be Wolf Warriors – a function or definition that defies diplomacy, even as it weaponizes it. Given that backdrop, we, as hosts at Captain Hook Hotel in Anchorage on March 18, 2021 – instead of a protocol-based public welcome, private candid talks, and a public press conference at the end – started with our honest expressions in public. In a moment that evokes – albeit, in part – a declaration of independence [sadly, from us], CCP’s Foreign Affairs Chief Yang Jiechi effortlessly responded in public, what I believe was intended for private talks. We are at the cusp of a modern-day Gordian Knot.
While I take note of William Stanton’s recent April 9, 2021 piece on “Agents of Influence,” I particularly take note of former NSA H.R. McMaster’s May 2020 piece in The Atlantic, entitled “How China Sees the World,” I freely admit that it was our then-President Nixon who opened the world for China and granted CCP a permanent seat on the UNSC. Whether we have a rules-based or law-based system of sovereigns co-existing in the comity of nations, we ought not be in the position of having to pick between the ever-reasonable and well-calibrated go-along and get-along Neville Chamberlain or Winston Churchill as being necessary to maintain our cherished freedoms and never surrender our sovereignty. Methinks, a new joint Yalta and Brentwood Conference is needed, before over-due structural reforms can occur, and global peace and security re-harnessed, without endless regional wars.
Mr. President, you and I have had several meaningful exchanges, including, in the White House, and most relevantly, in the UN’s Hall of Flags in Fall 2015 – when I urged you to run in 2016, as an election you were born for – to revive the American Dream. The American Dream belongs more to everyday Americans, than Wall Streeters, custodians of international money and achiever of maximum profit, as it was everyday Americans in 1814 who during heavy bombardment of Fort McHenry, kept our Flag high by paying the ultimate sacrifice repeatedly, and caused Francis Scott Key to pen our Star-Spangled Banner. Please let it wave high, and free, in this 21st Century.
If I can assist, as you wished of me during our substantive talk in the Hall of Flags, as a citizen-patriot, devastated by January 6th more than by 9/11, I would be happy to re-find diplomacy’s respect-based ability to “round the edges” and fashion justice-based remedies that are equitable – as the Jesuits teach us everything must be. Sometimes, davening with the right Minyan helps to be better able to turn swords into ploughshares. As Honor and WWIII walk into the ring to face off, the time is now for your leadership to make foreign policy into domestic policy – just as your infrastructure plan is our OBOR/BRI within our borders. Retail solutions will not work in the East or in the West; but, wholesale solutions will turn adversaries into allies. God Bless you, and continue to Bless these United States of America – I prefer “united,” the verb.
Respectfully,
/S/
Ravi Batra
Encl: April 14, 2020 Open Letter to POTUS et al
C: Leader Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr., Leader Kevin McCarthy, HFAC Chairman Greg W. Meeks, Ranker McCall, Chair Carolyn B. Maloney, Ranker Jim Jordan, SFRC Chairman Bob Menendez, Ranker Risch, Secretary Anthony Blinken, Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, NSA Jake Sullivan.”
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