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A letter to your representative to join congressional Caucus on India and
to promote
greater friendship between the
United States and India.
Click on
this page to see all the members of
India Caucus.
CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS ON INDIA AND INDO-AMERICANS
MISSION STATEMENT
The Congressional Caucus on
India and Indian-Americans serves as a forum in which Members of
Congress may address the concerns vital to this important South
Asian nation. By promoting dialogue on issues of interest to India
and the Indian-American community, the Caucus strives to strengthen
bilateral relations between the United States and India, promote
trade with India, enhance economic development in India, and improve
the overall standard of living for Indians and Indian-Americans.
The Caucus will focus primarily on three issue
areas:
- U.S.-Indian Relations,
to include trade, security cooperation, global terrorism, and
economic and humanitarian assistance.
- Developments in India
and on the Indian Sub-Continent, to
include economic development, health care, inter-communal
relations, the status of religious and other minorities,
corruption, and the Tibetan exile community.
- Issues of Interest to
the Indian-American Community,
including the facilitation of trade and commerce with India,
small business, visas, education, health care, and the promotion
of Indian culture in the United States.
The Caucus will pursue its work
with the assistance of Task Forces, which focus on five critical
issues:
- Healthcare and HIV/AIDS in
India
- Technology and Trade
- Economic Development and
U.S. Economic Assistance
- Kashmir,
- Indian-American Issues
To facilitate dialogue on these
critical issues, the Caucus will solicit briefings from the State
Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development,
non-governmental organizations, international organizations,
officials from India and elsewhere in the sub-continent, and other
organizations involved in Indian or Indian-American affairs. It is
hoped that the Caucus will have the opportunity to meet with Indians
traveling to the United States who are involved in issues of
interest to the Caucus.
The Caucus will also work to provide its
members with information on developments in India, including ongoing
summaries of political and economic developments, legislation of
interest, media reports, and press releases and other materials that
members can use to communicate their activities to constituents.
From time to time, the Caucus will sponsor events to commemorate or
celebrate Indian holidays, festivals, and other special occasions.
CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS ON INDIA AND
INDIAN-AMERICANS
PROPOSED
ACTIVITIES
The Caucus will serve primarily as a forum for
information-sharing on issues affecting India and the Indian-American
community. The Caucus will therefore seek to undertake the following
efforts and engage in the following activities:
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Arrange regular briefings on legislative and policy initiatives and
other issues of interest to Caucus members by U.S. officials,
visiting officials from India and the Sub-Continent, leaders of the
Indian-American community, and other experts on subjects of interest
to the Caucus; one topic in particular would be the mutual problem
of global terrorism that the U.S. and India face.
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Providing regular summaries of ongoing developments in India, the
Sub-Continent, and the Indian-American community.
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Creating a “Brain Trust” of the past Chairman of the India Caucus to
utilize their skills and knowledge of Indian issues.
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Offering draft op-ed columns, speeches, or other outreach materials
on issues of interest to members.
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Arranging a conference for Indian-American business leaders to
discuss trade and economic development on the subcontinent with
members of the Caucus.
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Organizing a 10-year celebration of the creation of the India
Caucus.
- Organizing events for Indian
holidays, festivals, and other special occasions.
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STATEMENT OF
PURPOSE AND CAUCUS BY-LAWS
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The Congressional Caucus on India and Indian
Americans shall be a bi-partisan organization of Members of the United
States Congress. Its goals shall be to:
(1) advocate the interests of the more than one
million Americans in the United States who were born in India or are of
Indian ancestry, and;
(2) promote and strengthen relations between the
United States, the world’s oldest democracy, and India, the world’s
largest democracy.
II. ELECTION AND DUTIES OF THE CO-CHAIRS
The Caucus shall have
two Co-Chairs, one Republican and one Democrat. The Co-Chairs shall
serve for a period of two years, starting at the end of a Congress. A
Co-Chair may not succeed himself or herself for a second Congress, and
shall not be eligible to serve as Co-Chair for a period of at least four
years from the date the Member last served as Co-Chair. The Co-Chairs
shall have the authority to call meetings, schedule speakers and provide
general organizational support for the Caucus. However, the Co-Chairs
are expected to consult regularly with the Caucus and keep the Members
of the Caucus informed of their activities. Election of the Co-Chairs
shall be by motion by an existing Member of the Caucus at a meeting held
at the end of a Congress. Election shall be by a simple majority of
those Caucus Members present and voting.
III. ELECTION AND DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
The Caucus shall have an
Executive Committee of eight Members, four Republicans and four
Democrats. Members of the Executive Committee shall be nominated by a
Member of the Caucus and shall be elected by a simple majority of the
Caucus Members present. A Member may serve as a Member of the Executive
Committee for no more than four successive Congresses.
IV. APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS TO HEAD TASK FORCES
The Caucus Co-Chairs
shall appoint Members of the Caucus to serve as head of various Task
Forces. These Task Forces will allow more Caucus Members to assume
visible leadership roles in the Caucus.
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