Press Release

Today, Congressman Ami Bera (CA-7) released the following statement after Indian Prime Minister Modi’s address to a joint meeting of Congress:

“India is a key partner of the United States, so I was pleased to have Speaker Ryan grant my request to bring Prime Minister Modi to Congress to address his vision on the U.S.-India partnership.

“As the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy, our countries have much to gain by working together to strengthen our economies and our national defense through mutual cooperation. I’m proud to have worked on both these fronts on behalf of the people of Sacramento County and California. Since I began serving in Congress, trade has more than doubled between California and India, according to the California Chamber of Commerce. I look forward to continuing to strengthen our special global relationship with India.

“As the son of parents who emigrated from India, this is a special privilege for me. I was also pleased to have National Spelling Bee finalist Snehaa Ganesh Kumar and her mother, both from Folsom, attend the speech with me. I’m glad the Prime Minister made note of the National Spelling Bee champions from the diaspora during his address.”

Congressman Bera played a key role in securing the address from Congressional leadership (read more here). Bera’s guest for the address was Snehaa Ganesh Kumar, a Folsom Middle School student recently took third place in the 2016 National Spelling Bee.

Congressman Bera is the only Indian American currently serving in Congress. He is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and serves on the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. He is also the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.

###