The Indian Panorama

Tag: Raja Krishnamoorthi

  • Indian American lawmakers say Biden, Harris will heal America

    Indian American lawmakers say Biden, Harris will heal America

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian American lawmakers hailed the leadership of US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, expressing confidence that the two leaders will heal the country, courageously face challenges and build back better. During the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s official Asian American inaugural ball, hosted virtually by the leading Indian-American advocacy organization IMPACT, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois said he is extremely happy that both Biden and Harris are finally able to take over leadership.

    Congressman Ro Khanna, who represents California’s 17th Congressional District, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, said he cannot stress “what an amazing moment this is for our community and the multi-racial democracy in America.” Congressman Ami Bera, representing California’s 7th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives, said Biden and Harris are humble people who get the importance of this moment in time to heal this country, to bring the nation together and “face with courage the challenges that are ahead of us.”

    Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said at the AAPI ‘Inaugural Ball: Breaking Barriers’ that she is proud and excited to call Harris the next US Vice President – the first woman, first South-Asian American and the first Black American to ever be elected to this “position of public trust. “Today we prove that our democracy still works and that the power always belongs to the people through the power of our vote,” she said at the virtual inaugural ball held on Tuesday, Jan 19, and added that she cannot wait to see the brighter world that “we will build together.”

    Indian American Neera Tanden, nominated by Biden as the Director of Office of Management and Budget at the White House, said she is honored to be part of the Biden-Harris administration.

    “I know for many in our community there is so much to be proud of. Not only can we celebrate an incredibly diverse cabinet, but we can also celebrate the fact that we have the first vice president” who is of Asian descent.

    Following the swearing-in of Harris, IMPACT Executive Director Neil Makhija said generations of immigrants came to the US for a better life for their children. “Today, the daughter of an Indian immigrant, who made dosas on the campaign trail, and spoke to her ‘chithis’ in her nomination speech, took her oath of office as Vice-President of the United States. “And as Kamala Harris takes her place in the American story, the hearts of her countrymen and women are swelling with pride and hope for the future,” he said, adding that the inauguration of Harris is not only the culmination of an American dream but “marks the launching of millions of new dreams. Beginning today, a generation of American children will grow up knowing only an Indian-American and Black woman as vice-president of the United States.” As Harris has said, she may be the first, but she won’t be the last. “And, with her as an inspiration, we look forward to helping the next generation prove her right,” Makhija added. National, grassroots organization South Asians for Biden’s National Director Neha Dewan said Biden and Harris are the “right leaders” for this moment “when we are experiencing multiple, converging crises, and their leadership gives us all hope that we can emerge from this as a stronger country.” She said the organization is heartened by the fact that the South Asian community played a critical role in the 2020 election and looks forward to deepening the community’s engagement in government and politics in the months and years ahead. With Harris breaking barriers as the first Black and South Asian woman elected to national office, Dewan said: “for South Asians who wondered whether this moment could ever be possible, today affirms that America at its best is a land of limitless opportunities.”

  • Indian American Hiral Tipirneni loses House race from Arizona

    Indian American Hiral Tipirneni loses House race from Arizona

    ARIZONA (TIP): Indian American Democrat candidate Hiral Tipirneni has failed in her second bid to capture a House of Representatives seat from Arizona losing in a close contest to sitting Republican David Schweikert.

    Tipirneni called her defeat a “heartbreaking loss” but conceded the race as Schweikert pulled ahead with a 52% to 48% vote. He will continue to represent Arizona’s 6th District that he first won in 2011.

    Leading up to the election, many polls showed that the race was a toss-up between the two candidates. With Tipirneni’s defeat, “samosa caucus,” the Indian American members of the House call themselves will remain four strong. All the sitting members, Democrats Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Ami Bera, have retained their seats. This marks the second time Tipirneni ran as a district representative in Arizona and lost to a Republican nominee. In 2018 Tipirneni was defeated by Republican Debbie Lesko for District 8 which covers suburban areas north and west of Phoenix including Peoria, Surprise, Sun City and New River.

    “From the very beginning, this race was about fighting for the issues that impact Arizona families,” she stated after calling Schweikert to concede on Saturday.

    “It was never about partisanship. It was about rooting out corruption and making the tax code more fair for middle-class Arizona families, small businesses, and retirees,” Tipirneni stated.

    “I ran for Congress with one ultimate goal in mind: to ensure that every single American has access to quality, affordable healthcare…”

    “Even today, after this heartbreaking loss, I stand by my decision to run wholeheartedly. And I’m proud to have joined the countless other women leaders nationwide who stepped up and demanded better,” she stated.

    Tipirneni said, “We need more women in positions of power. We need more women in politics. Their empathic voices, their ability to problem-solve, and their diversity of backgrounds and experiences will change this country for the better. Run and run hard – this country needs you…”

    “We have made an immense impact, make no mistake,” she stated hoping her constituents “use your voice, your passion, and your vote to create ‘the change you want to see in the world.’ I know I will.”

    Tipirneni, who is an emergency room doctor, immigrated to the US at the age of three with her family.

    Her campaign raised a record $5.4 million to Schweitkert’s r $2.1 million, according to Ballotpedia. In the Democratic primary, Tipirneni defeated journalist, Anita Malik to win the party nomination. Schweikert had been investigated by the House Ethics Committee on allegations that he misused official resources for re-election and violated campaign finance rules. He admitted to misconduct and paid a $50,000 fine, but that did not affect his reelection.

  • Four Democratic Indian American Lawmakers of “Samosa Caucus” Re-Elected to US House of Representatives

    Four Democratic Indian American Lawmakers of “Samosa Caucus” Re-Elected to US House of Representatives

    WASHINGTON  (TIP): In an impressive show, all the four Indian American Democratic lawmakers – Dr Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Raja Krishnamoorthi – have been re-elected to the US House of Representatives.

    The Indian American community has emerged as a force to reckon with for the first time in the history of the US presidential election. Both the Democrat and the Republican campaigns had initiated several measures to woo the approximately 1.8 million members of the community who have emerged as a critical voting bloc in the battleground states of Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas.The ‘Samosa caucus’ currently comprises five Indian American lawmakers, including the four members of the House of Representatives and Senator and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris, 56.

    Raja Krishnamoorthi, 47, easily defeated Preston Nelson, 30, of the Libertarian Party. When last reports came in, he had accounted for nearly 71 per cent of the total votes counted.

    Ro Khanna, 44, easily defeated fellow Indian-American Ritesh Tandon, 48, of the Republican Party with a margin of more than 50 percentage points. This was his third-consecutive win from the 17th Congressional district of California. Dr Ami Bera, 55, the senior most member of the ‘Samosa Caucus’, won the seventh Congressional District of California for the fifth consecutive term. When the last report came in, he had established an inaccessible lead by more than 25 percentage points against his Republican rival 65-year-old Buzz Patterson. The House of Representatives is the lower house of the US Congress, with the Senate being the upper house.

  • Indian American Committee IMPACT raises $10 million war chest for Indian American candidates

    Indian American Committee IMPACT raises $10 million war chest for Indian American candidates

    NEW YORK (TIP): IMPACT, the leading Indian American advocacy and political action committee, has raised a $10 million war chest to get Indian origin candidates including Kamala Harris, the first Indian American on a national ticket, and Joe Biden, elected. Raised in just three months, the funds will be spent to support turnout efforts in the Asian American and Indian American community and to elect IMPACT’s 2020 slate of candidates, as well as Indian American candidates running up and down ballots in states across the country.
    Besides the Democratic presidential ticket of Biden and Harris, the slate includes six candidates for the US House and 16 candidates for Statewide and local offices: seven for State Senates, Five for State Houses and four others.
    “IMPACT’s fundraising strength reflects trends we’re seeing across the country,” IMPACT Executive Director Neil Makhija, said Monday, October 19, announcing the organization’s groundbreaking effort.
    “There’s a level of enthusiasm and excitement about this year’s election among Indian American voters that is palpable, and unrivaled in previous cycles,” he said.
    “With an Indian American on the presidential ticket for the first time in history, and a record number of Indian American candidates running for office, Indian American voters are poised to exert a considerable amount of influence in this year’s election, and IMPACT will help mobilize and harness this emerging power.”
    IMPACT said it will invest in the presidential, state-wide, and congressional races in battleground states across the country. Investments include committee contributions, paid advertising, targeted turnout operations, and infrastructure building.
    This groundbreaking investment comes at a time when Indian Americans — the second largest immigrant group in the US — are beginning to flex their political muscle on the national political stage, it said.
    In addition to an Indian American being a historic Democratic nominee for Vice President, the number of Indian Americans in Congress has grown five-fold in just the past eight years and the campaign arm charged with electing Democrats to Congress released its first-ever Hindi-language political ad earlier this year, it noted.
    All of these developments have come less than 75 years since South Asians began emigrating to the US, and 55 years after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which ended discriminatory quotas and opened the doors to Asian immigrants, IMPACT said.
    Besides four sitting members of US Congress — Ami Bera (California), Ro Khanna (California), Pramila Jayapal (Washington), Raja Krishnamoorthi (Illinois) — Impact is backing two more, Sri Kulkarni (Texas), and Hiral Tipirneni (Arizona) for the US House.
    Seven State Senate candidates backed by IMPACT are: Sara Gideon (Maine), Jay Chaudhuri (North Carolina), Jeremy Cooney (New York), Kevin Thomas (New York), Rupande Mehta (New Jersey), Kesha Ram (Vermont), and Nikil Saval (Pennsylvania).
    Five candidates for State Houses are: Nima Kulkarni (Kentucky) Padma Kuppa (Michigan), Jennifer Rajkumar (New York), Amish Shah (Arizona), and Vandana Slatter (Washington).
    Impact is also backing Nina Ahmad (Pennsylvania Auditor General), Ronnie Chatterji (North Carolina Treasurer), Pavan Parikh (Ohio Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas) and Ravi Sandill (Texas District Judge).

     

  • Congressman Krishnamoorthi Convenes Meeting of Senior TSA Officials and Community Leaders

    Congressman Krishnamoorthi Convenes Meeting of Senior TSA Officials and Community Leaders

    CHICAGO (TIP): Indian American Congressman from Illinois Raja Krishnamoorthi on June 17 convened a meeting with community leaders and three senior TSA officials visiting from Washington, DC to discuss best practices for improving relations between TSA officers and the general public.  The Congressman was joined by TSA Acting Deputy Administrator Patty Cogswell, Assistant Administrator for Civil Rights and Liberties, Ombudsman and Traveler Engagement Christine Griggs, and Legislative Director Clint Fisher, along with leaders from more than a dozen civil rights organizations including: the South Asian Bar Association of Chicago, ACLU of Illinois, Anti-Defamation League, CAIR-Chicago, Catholic Charities, HANA Center, Latino Policy Forum, MALDEF, NAACP, Partners for Our Communities, and United for Peace.

    Topics of discussion included diversity and cultural sensitivity training for TSA officers, perceptions regarding discrimination in the TSA screening process, and the use of facial recognition technology by the TSA and at airports generally. At the close of the session, TSA officials and community leaders committed to an ongoing discussion on these matters, particularly as they relate to local practices at Chicago O’Hare Airport.

    “I’m glad we were able to have such an open, productive discussion for TSA leaders to gain a better understanding of the concerns of the community,” said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. “I look forward to working with our community leaders to continue the work we started today so that so that the TSA and all federal agencies can work better on behalf of the people of the 8th district and all Americans.”

  • Unprecedented congratulatory messages pour in for Modi from over 50 US leaders

    Unprecedented congratulatory messages pour in for Modi from over 50 US leaders

    WASHINGTON (TIP): In a testimony to the strength of India-US relations, unprecedented congratulatory messages have been received from over 50 US leaders in every domain, including the Administration, Congress, business, academia/think tanks on the historic electoral victory of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    ADMINISTRATION

    President Donald Trump

    • Just spoke to Prime Minister @NarendraModiwhere I congratulated him on his big political victory. He is a great man and leader for the people of India -they are lucky to have him!

    Vice President Mike Pence

    • Congrats to an American ally & friend PM @narendramodi, on his party’s win in India’s parliamentary election. This was a strong display of the Indian people’s commitment to democracy! We look forward to continuing to work with India for a freer, safer, & more prosperous region.

    Secretary Mike Pompeo

    • Congratulations to @narendramodi and the NDA for their victory in India’s election, and to the Indian people for casting their votes in such historic numbers. As the world’s largest exercise in democracy, #India’s election is an inspiration around the world.

    Ivanka Trump, Advisor to the President

    • Congratulations @narendramodi on a great victory! Exciting times ahead for the wonderful people of India!

    Governor Phil Murphy (New Jersey)

    • Congrats to Prime Minister @narendramodi and the NDA on your historic election! New Jersey has a vibrant Indian American population and deep ties to the world’s largest democracy –we look forward to strengthening our relationship in the years ahead.

    Governor Greg Abbott (Texas)

    • Prime MinisterModi, Congratulations on your election win. I view it as a very important to the future of India. Texas looks forward to continuing to work with you as we advance the economies of India and Texas

    CONGRESS

    Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)

    • Congratulations to the new government and the people of India for concluding the world’s largest democratic election in which 600 million votes were cast for the country’s leadership.·I look forward to continuing my work to strengthen and deepen ties between the United States and India, two of the world’s great democracies, in the years ahead.

    Senator Mark Warner (D-VA)

    • As co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, I want to congratulate the Indian people on today’s historic election —the largest democratic election in history. I look forward to continuing our work with PM Modi’s administration to strengthen our important alliance with India.

    Senator Kevin Thomas

    • Congratulations to @narendramodi on his win in the Indian elections today. India and the U.S. share a great relationship and looking forward to continuing cooperation going forward.

    Senator John Cornyn

    • Congratulations @narendramodi on your historic victory. Looking forward to seeing you soon

    enator Dan Sullivan

    • I want to congratulate @PMOIndia@narendramodion achieving a commanding victory in his reelection bid today. Modi, a steadfast friend of America and free people everywhere, has clearly earned a strong and lasting confidence among the people of India.

    Congressman Ted Yoho (R-FL)

    • The world’s largest democracy and one of our strongest partners in the Indo-Pacific has chosen their leadership in free and fair elections. Congratulations to @BJP4India and @narenbramodi on your historic re-election.

    Congressman Jim Banks (R-IN)

    • Congratulations to @narendramodi and his party for their landslide victory in India’s election. The relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger!

    Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY)

    • Congratulations to @narendramodi on his re-election! The India-U.S. relationship is based upon shared values. This alliance will be very important overthe next 50 years & I am looking forward to continuing our work with PM Modi & Indian government to strengthen our alliance.

    Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi

    • Congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi on his re-election —it was truly an inspiration to see so many Indians exercise their democratic rights, and I look forward to working with PM Modi and the Indian government to strengthen the US-India partnership.

    Congressman Steny Hoyer

    • Congratulations @NarendraModi on winning re-election this week. I look forward to strengthening the important U.S.-India partnership.

    Congressman Ami Bera

    • Great job to the people of #India on their historic election. Never before have so many voted in a single democratic election. Congratulations to PM Modi for his win and I look forward to working with his government to strengthen the ties between our two great nations.

    Congressman Ro Khanna

    • One lesson from Modi’s win is that dynastic, establishment candidates are weak. Democrats need to make sure that our candidate against Trump can connect with people’s frustration and offer a positive vision for change.

    Asm. Raj Mukherjee, Assembly Majority Whip, NJ Legislature

    • Congrats to @narendramodi on a decisive reelection and to the Indian people on the largest display of participation in democracy in the history of the world. Looking forward to furthering the strong bilateral ties between our two great democracies. @IndiainNewYork

    THINK TANKS/ ACADEMICS

    Ambassador Nikki Haley , Stand for America

    • India continues to have amazing potential and is a strong US partner. Congratulations to @narendramodi on your success with the elections and the direction you are taking India. We look forward to seeing our partnership continue to strengthen

    Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Professor, Harvard Kennedy School

    • A major victory for PM Modi and the BJP in #India. The Trump Administration now has an opportunity to expand our military and economic partnership with Delhi, particularly to limit China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.

    Renu Khator, President of University of Houston ·Congratulations to Prime Minister Modi on his decisive victory in election…1.3 billion people have chosen their leader to continue to shape India’s future at home and abroad!

    BUSINESS

    Bill Gates, Microsoft

    • Congratulations @NarendraModi on a remarkable win in #IndianElections2019. Your continued commitment to improve health, nutrition, and development will significantly improve lives of many.

    IBM CEO Ginni Rometty

    • IBM congratulates Prime Minister Modi on his reelection, and I look forward to continuing to work with him on issues that are critical to India and its people -from skills to emerging technologies like AI.

    Ajay Banga, President & CEO, Mastercard

    • Congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this historic win with this decisive mandate from the world’s largest democracy, he will propel the country further on all fronts. We are proud of our long-standing commitment to India and its citizens. And, we are excited to expand our investments and local partnerships in the country to deliver on the Digital India vision and help power it’s continued economic growth.
  • Indian American Congressman’s Amendment to Review Integrity of White House Security Clearances passed unanimously

    Indian American Congressman’s Amendment to Review Integrity of White House Security Clearances passed unanimously

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of the House Oversight Committee on July 19 successfully introduced an amendment ordering a review of White House security clearance procedures by requiring the National Background Investigations Bureau to report to Congress on the process for conducting and adjudicating security clearance requests for the Executive Office of the President.

    The Krishnamoorthi amendment comes in the wake of Senior Advisors to the President Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions all omitting significant information about foreign contacts from their applications for security clearances. The measure passed the Oversight Committee by a unanimous voice vote and amended H.R.3210, a resolution regarding the national backlog of security clearance investigations.

    Congressman Krishnamoorthi released the following statement on the passage of his amendment:

    “It seems every day we learn of more undisclosed foreign contacts with senior Trump administration officials. In just the last two weeks, we have learned that Senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner failed to disclose his participation in a meeting with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer and her associates, including a former Soviet intelligence officer and an individual linked to a federal money laundering investigation. This is just one example of a foreign contact Mr. Kushner failed to disclose when he reportedly omitted more than one hundred from his SF-86 security clearance application.

    My amendment would require the Director of the National Background Investigations Bureau to report to Congress on the processes by which senior administration officials apply for and receive security clearances. Access to our nation’s secrets should demand the highest levels of scrutiny and the strictest adherence to security procedure to protect against compromise by hostile foreign powers.

    Mr. Kushner and other senior administration officials repeatedly failed to disclose their foreign contacts, including those with hostile powers. It is essential that we determine whether this failure puts them or our nation at risk.”

    Krishnamoorthi represents the 8th District of Illinois and serves on Government Reform and Education and Workforce panels and also as the ranking member on the subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative Rules.

  • Leading Members of Government and Civil Society Join Hindu Leaders at Advocacy Forum

    Leading Members of Government and Civil Society Join Hindu Leaders at Advocacy Forum

    WASHINGTON (TIP): With a delegation of over 60, the Hindu American Foundation hosted its second annual Advocacy Forum in Washington, DC, complete with a full day long policy conference, an evening reception, as well as an advocacy on the Hill day consisting of meetings with elected officials.

    Monday, June 19, brought together leading members of government and civil society to discuss the protection of civil rights, ways to combat the rise of hate crimes in the US, and the spread of terrorism and violent extremism across South Asia.

    Panelists included: Tom Wheeler, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, US Department of Justice; Michael Lieberman, Anti-Defamation League & Convener of the Hate Crimes Coalition Taskforce; Ron Mori, Japanese American Citizens League; Sushil Pandit, CEO of Hive Communication & Co-Founder of Roots in Kashmir; Seth Oldmixon, Founder of Liberty South Asia; and Anita Wadhwani, India Country Director, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Asian & Pacific Security Affairs.

    “In 2015 the number of anti-religious hate crimes was the largest percentage of hate crimes in the 25 year history of the Hate Crimes Statistics Act,” Michael Lieberman told the audience. “This year was the first year ever that the FBI collected anti-Hindu hate crimes. The reason they did this was because of your advocacy.”

    On how to prevent extremist terrorism at the broadest level, Seth Oldmixon concluded, “We [in the United States] have to be a city on the hill. We have to be a shining example of demonstrating that religious freedom and tolerance and inclusivity work. That is the biggest threat to these extremist groups.”

    During HAF’s annual DC advocacy day, on June 20th, delegates met with 50 members of Congress to discuss community concerns about rising hate crimes, the spread of terrorism, and the lack of transparency and accountability at the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. The delegation also addressed the need to generate greater awareness of heart health among South Asian Americans.

    The Advocacy Forum concluded with HAF’s Capitol Hill Reception, which garnered more than 200 attendees—including members of Congress such as Raja Krishnamoorthi. In addition, Charles Haynes, founder of the Religious Freedom Center and a vice-president at the Newseum Institute, was honored with the Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Advancement of Religious Pluralism.

  • Raja Krishnamoorthi calls for decisive steps to end bigotry, hate crimes

    Raja Krishnamoorthi calls for decisive steps to end bigotry, hate crimes

    Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has asked the US administration to take “decisive steps” to end bigotry and hate crimes towards Indian-Americans and other religious minorities in the country.

    “There are various reasons (for increase in hate crimes), but one is certainly there’s been a rise in divisive rhetoric starting with the top,” Krishnamoorthi, Congressman from Illinois, said.

    Krishnamoorthi, who has initiated steps to galvanise his Congressional colleagues on the issue, said there has been a number of issues taken on the immigration front, which really contributes to the divisive atmosphere in this country.

    “Starting with the immigration executive order dated January 27th, which targeted American legal permanent residents, also known as Green Card holders. But we’ve now seen a number of steps taken by the White House on a number of fronts, which have sown confusion, concern, and fear among Indian-Americans and others,” Krishnamoorthi told PTI.

    The first-time Congressman said he has not seen any measures being taken by President Donald Trump.

    “Not so far, but I’m heartened that at least Secretary (of Homeland Security John) Kelly was willing to meet with me and others to discuss this issue and to recognise that there has been an increase in hate crimes and that we need to do something about it,” he said.

    “But now is the time to act. We can’t just have a nice talk. It’s time for the authorities at the very top of our government to take decisive steps to end the state of bigotry and prejudice that’s being directed toward Indian-Americans, Jews, Latinos, Muslims, and others because at the end of the day, we have to come together as a country to confront the various challenges that we have on the landscape, primarily economic,” Krishnamoorthi said.

    One thing that the Trump Administration can do is that they can make sure that there continue to be the registry of where are the attacks happening and against who, and those responsible for it are prosecuted.

    “They’ve been dilly-dallying on this front in a number of cases,” he alleged.

    “It’s very clear that some of these attacks were motivated by hate, and they should be prosecuted as such. Then, we need leaders to come and meet with the community and to show solidarity with them,” he said.

    “We are all Americans, and regardless of what you think about his policies, George Bush, after the September 11th attacks, actually showed up in the different communities to allay concerns about different communities being singled out as targets of hatred. We need that same type of attention being given now,” he said.

    “Then, word needs to go out into law enforcement that they need to act with even more purpose, and they need to do everything they can to stop these attacks,” he added.

    Read more

    Krishnamoorthi last week met with Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly.

    During the meeting, he brought up the concerns about the attacks on Indian-Americans, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and others.

    “I basically got a commitment from him to work on this issue, and he also lamented the rise in White supremacist organisations,” he said.

    “I then followed up with a letter to him basically urging him to take action to follow up on his commitment. Then I’ve also asked him to come to Chicago and hold meetings with local concerned community leaders with regard to this issue. He said that he was interested, but we’re following up on that,” he added.

    “This follows a number of other actions taken by our office including calling for investigative hearings of my Oversight Committee, writing to Department of Justice (DOJ) including Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking them to investigate, and various other statements and letters that we’ve sent,” Krishnamoorthi said.

    “In addition, I’ve met with local leaders in the community with regard to this issue, and we are holding town halls and other meetings to basically bring attention to what’s happening. We’re doing everything we can to make sure that we address this rise in hate crimes and prejudice and bigotry in as diligent a manner as possible,” Krishnamoorthi said.

    Having received feedback from across the country, Krishnamoorthi said Indian-Americans are very concerned, which is bordering on fear.

    “I think that we have to do everything we can to allay their concerns, but more importantly, to take action, to make sure that we get to the bottom of what’s happening and prevent future attacks,” he said.

  • Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Denounces Trump’s Executive Order Rolling Back American Commitment to Growing Green Technology Sector

    Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Denounces Trump’s Executive Order Rolling Back American Commitment to Growing Green Technology Sector

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi denounced President Trump’s executive order eliminating President Obama’s climate-change protections as an attack on the growing green economy and as another example of the Trump administration’s effort to govern by decree. Krishnamoorthi is the author of the Executive Order Transparency Act, which would require executive orders to be posted to the White House website seventy-two hours in advance of signing, to reveal their contents. The Congressman also introduced H. Res. 85, a resolution in support of the United States continuing its Paris Agreement commitments to address climate change and develop clean energy.

    “Through this sudden and reckless order, the Trump administration has continued to cede American leadership in green technology while endangering our environment and ambushing our economy in the process,” Krishnamoorthi said.

    “The need to deal with climate change is imperative, but by doing so, we can also lead the world in the development of green technology. That is why I introduced a resolution specifically calling for our country to continue to address climate change and to embrace the new economic developments that come with it. Through rolling back these environmental protections, President Trump has allowed other nations to lead on this vital technology.”

    “I’ve also introduced legislation to push back against the White House’s efforts to ambush the country with radical overnight orders by requiring executive orders to be disclosed three days before their signing. By issuing this order so suddenly and without providing warning to the necessary Agencies, the administration has left clean energy and green technology firms to face a suddenly more hostile business environment for no discernible advantage”, he further added.