United States India Political Action Committee
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The United States India Political Action Committee is a political action committee based in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Since its founding in 2002 by businessman Sanjay Puri, USINPAC has described its goal as "working closely with other
Indian-American Indian Americans or Indo-Americans are citizens of the United States with ancestry from India. The United States Census Bureau uses the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Native Americans, who have also historically been referred to ...
organizations to promote fair and balanced policies, and create a platform to enable the entry of Indian Americans in the political process." Particular issues of note have related to legal immigration,
counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or ...
,
business relations Business relations are connections between stakeholders in the process of businesses, such as employer–employee relationships, managers as well as outsourced business partners. The association of businesses began relationships that have been cons ...
,
global health Global health is the health of the populations in the worldwide context; it has been defined as "the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide". Problem ...
,
religious freedom Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
,
education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
, and US-India trade. USINPAC has also donated significant funding to the political campaigns of both Democratic and
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
politicians, and past Senate candidates supported by USINPAC include
Aruna Miller Aruna Miller (née Katragadda; November 6, 1964) is an American politician who is the lieutenant governor-elect of Maryland. Miller, a Democrat, is a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing Legislative District 15 in Mont ...
,
Aneesh Chopra Aneesh Paul Chopra (born July 13, 1972) is an American executive who served as the first Chief Technology Officer of the United States. He was appointed in 2009 by President Barack Obama and was at the White House through 2012. Chopra previously ...
,
Vivek Kundra Vivek Kundra (born October 9, 1974) is a former American administrator who served as the first chief information officer of the United States from March, 2009 to August, 2011 under President Barack Obama. He is currently the chief operating offic ...
, and Kesha Ram among others. USINPAC is involved with the annual US business delegation to India, and has periodically held briefings for members of the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
and the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
. An active proponent of the H-1B Visa Program between 2003 and 2008, USINPAC has also supported the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement, the
Hyde Act Hyde or Hydes may refer to: People *Hyde (surname) *Hyde (musician), Japanese musician from the bands L'Arc-en-Ciel and VAMPS American statutes *Hyde Amendment, an amendment that places well-defined limitations on Medicare spending on aborti ...
, the Section 123 Agreement, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act, and hate-crime expansions to the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (LLEEA), among others.


History


Background and founding (2000–2003)

In September 2002, Indian-American businessman Sanjay Puri and Vikram Chauhan formally established the United States India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), a
non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
political action committee based in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Surabhi Garg headed fundraising and operations, while Puri became chairman in October 2002. From the start USINPAC described its goal as "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." Among other issues, starting in 2002 USINPAC began working to educate US lawmakers on a
visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...
backlog in India, which within several years had helped lead to increased staff at the
US Embassy The United States has the second most diplomatic missions of any country in the world after Mainland China, including 166 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations, as well as observer state Vatican City and non-member countries Kosovo a ...
in India and funding for a new US Consulate in
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
. USINPAC also immediately became involved in political campaigns in the US. Financed largely by individual donors, USINPAC donated a total $50,000 to seven American politicians in early 2003 for "their stand on immigration policy, relations with India and policies affecting Indian Americans in a post-September 11 scenario." Five of the seven candidates ended up winning their race. USINPAC soon had liaisons with the India Caucus in US Congress, and on February 13, 2003, USINPAC organized the first India Caucus Day on Capitol Hill, with talks held by politicians such as Joe Crowley, Joe Wilson,
Ed Royce Edward Randall Royce (born October 12, 1951) is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from California from 1993 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Royce served as Chairman of the United ...
, and
Jim McDermott James Adelbert McDermott (born December 28, 1936) is an American politician and psychiatrist who was the U.S. representative for from 1989 to 2017. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The 7th District includes most of Seattle, Vashon I ...
. In July 2003, USINPAC organized a Capital Hill reception with the American Jewish Committee and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, in what the ''New York Times'' opined was a "small part of a larger trend of cooperation between Israeli and Indian interests" at large.


Pakistan aid and bills (2003–2004)

On the issue of aid to Pakistan, USINPAC has from its founding advocated cutting funding to the
Pakistani government The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territories, ...
, instead arguing aid to Pakistan should come "via non-governmental organizations that support political and economic reform with the specific objective of increasing Pakistani economic integration with the international community of nations." According to the ''
Asia Times ''Asia Times'' (), formerly known as ''Asia Times Online'', is a Hong Kong-based English language news media publishing group, covering politics, economics, business, and culture from an Asian perspective. ''Asia Times'' publishes in English and ...
'', USINPAC "put itself on the political map" in May 2003 "when it successfully lobbied for an amendment to the House's US$3 billion aid package for
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
." The amendment, which was proposed by
Gary Ackerman Gary Leonard Ackerman (born November 19, 1942) is an American retired politician and former U.S. Representative from New York, serving from 1983 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party. On March 15, 2012, Ackerman announced that he wou ...
of the India Caucus in the US Congress, called for "an end to US assistance until Pakistan stopped cross-border attacks in the disputed state of
Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...
and Kashmir and gave up weapons of mass destruction." While Ackerman withdrew the amendment after disputes, ''Asia Times'' writes "what is important to note is that Ackerman and the USINPAC were not making empty threats: they had the capability to push through the amendment, and the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
knew it."
Eni Faleomavaega Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin Faleomavaega Jr. (; August 15, 1943 – February 22, 2017) was an American Samoan politician and attorney who served as the territory's lieutenant governor (1985-1989) and non-voting delegate to the United States House of Repr ...
of the India Caucus in the US Congress instead pushed an alternate but similar amendment through, which among other points "ceased the transfer of
weapons of mass destruction A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous individuals or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natu ...
, including any associated technologies, to any third country or
terrorist organization A number of national governments and two international organizations have created lists of organizations that they designate as terrorist. The following list of designated terrorist groups lists groups designated as terrorist by current and fo ...
."


Nuclear agreement (2005–2008)

USINPAC set up operations in
New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...
in 2005. From 2005 to 2008 USINPAC advocated for expanded cooperation on defense issues between the US and India. Starting in 2005, for example, USINPAC was closely involved in the passage of the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement, playing a key role in getting it through Congress three years later. The agreement, first drafted by American and Indian politicians in 2005 and announced by US President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
in March 2006, would "end a moratorium on sales of nuclear fuel and reactor components to India's civilian nuclear program." Lobbying had "intensified" by June 2006, as USINPAC worked with the Indian American Center for Public Awareness and the Indian American Forum for Political Education to ensure that "the 39 members of the India Caucus in the Senate and more than 180 members of the Caucus in the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
vote for the deal." USINPAC supported the passage of the related
Hyde Act Hyde or Hydes may refer to: People *Hyde (surname) *Hyde (musician), Japanese musician from the bands L'Arc-en-Ciel and VAMPS American statutes *Hyde Amendment, an amendment that places well-defined limitations on Medicare spending on aborti ...
in 2006, and the Section 123 Agreement passed in 2008, allowing US-India cooperation in the civilian nuclear-energy trade. According to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', the agreement was hailed by officials as "historic" and "a centerpiece of American-Indian relations."


Political contributions and media (2005–2013)

By June 2006 USINPAC had contributed a total of over $200,000 to Congressional candidates, and had raised campaign money at nine fund-raisers and receptions since January of that year. While USINPAC supports both Democratic and Republican candidates, it has maintained long alliances with politicians such as
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
, whose support was considered crucial by some to the success of the US-India 123 Agreement. By 2006 USINPAC had praised Clinton's open stance on outsourcing, stating on their website that "even though she was against outsourcing at the beginning of her political career, she has since changed her position and now maintains that offshoring brings as much economic value to the United States as to the country where services are outsourced, especially India." The ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
'' opined in September 2007 that "in just five years, USINPAC has become the most visible face of Indian American lobbying." The ''
India Post India Post is a government-operated postal system in India, part of the Department of Post under the Ministry of Communications. Generally known as the Post Office, it is the most widely distributed postal system in the world. Warren Hastings ...
'' wrote in 2013 that "USINPAC has been active in promoting nuclear, defense, education, and trade relations between USA and India for the past decade." In relation to US-India trade, USINPAC has provided expert testimony in
Congressional hearing A United States congressional hearing is the principal formal method by which United States congressional committees collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. Whether confirmation hearings (a procedure unique ...
s on the topic, and also conducted briefings with the Senate Foreign Affairs and
House Foreign Affairs Committee The United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, also known as the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is a standing committee of the U.S. House of Representatives with jurisdiction over bills and investigations concerning the foreign affairs o ...
s. USINPAC was a key proponent in 2013 behind the passage of new measure to expand the
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
's tracking categories of hate crimes. In March 2013, Puri testified before the House Committee on Foreign Relations and advocated prioritizing Indian issues such as education, a STEM Teacher exchange, and the "export of gas to ease India’s energy difficulty." Also that year, USINPAC denounced the arrest of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade and the manner it was conducted, calling it a "failure in diplomatic protocol." Accused of making false statements on a visa application, Khobragade had been subjected to a
strip search A strip search is a practice of searching a person for weapons or other contraband suspected of being hidden on their body or inside their clothing, and not found by performing a frisk search, but by requiring the person to remove some or al ...
and
cavity search A body cavity search, also known simply as a cavity search, is either a visual search or a manual internal inspection of body cavities for prohibited materials (contraband), such as illegal drugs, money, jewelry, or weapons. Body cavities frequen ...
by police. In an interview, Puri called for her to be returned to India, and for US officials to treat the arrest with more awareness of public perception in India.


Indian elections and recent issues (2014–2015)

USINPAC voiced disapproval of the controversial House Resolution 417 in April 2014. Proposed by Indian-Christian activist
John Dayal John Dayal (born 2 October 1948) is a controversial Indian human rights and Christian political activist. He is a member of the National Integration Council (NIC) of India, Secretary-General of the All India Christian Council and a past preside ...
in an attempt to influence the Indian election outcome, the resolution characterized
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
in a negative light, with Puri stating "it’s just not the job of the US Congress to tell Indians how to vote in their own election." When asked about USINPAC's own stance on the elections, Puri reassured the press that "we t USINPAChave worked diligently to make sure there are no undue influences on the election, and the hairmanof the House Foreign Relations Committee [Rep.
Ed Royce Edward Randall Royce (born October 12, 1951) is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from California from 1993 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Royce served as Chairman of the United ...
(R-CA)] has assured us that they will stay out of the way." After Narendra Modi was elected Prime Minister of India, USINPAC spearheaded a campaign to schedule a
Joint Session of Congress A joint session of the United States Congress is a gathering of members of the two chambers of the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Joint sessions can be held on ...
with Modi. In September, Speaker of the House John Boehner invited Modi "to address a Joint Meeting of Congress after mid-term elections, at a time of his choosing," with signed notes of support from 100 bipartisan members of Congress. USINPAC supported grassroots campaigns behind the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act and H.R. 2771 (the Expedite Our Economy Act) in 2014, as well as the Senate companion bill S. 2494 (Natural Gas Export Promotion Act). The bills were intended to change current law and enable US exports to India, including
shale gas Shale gas is an unconventional natural gas that is found trapped within shale formations. Since the 1990s a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has made large volumes of shale gas more economical to produce, and some ...
. During a USINPAC-organised legislative briefing, the bills met with support from politicians such as Ted Poe. ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...
'' referred to USINPAC in May 2015 as "the main political lobby for Indian-Americans in Washington." USINPAC is involved with the annual US business delegation to India to meet with Indian politicians, businesspeople, and newsmakers. In June 2015 USINPAC hosted a delegation led by Jupally Krishna Rao from the newly formed Indian state of
Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 3 ...
, arranging meetings between American business interests and the delegation "for the purpose of scouting partners and investments." As of November 2015,
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
candidates supported by USINPAC included politicians such as
Aruna Miller Aruna Miller (née Katragadda; November 6, 1964) is an American politician who is the lieutenant governor-elect of Maryland. Miller, a Democrat, is a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing Legislative District 15 in Mont ...
, Ravi Sangisetty, Manan Trivedi,
Raja Krishnamoorthi Subramanian Raja Krishnamoorthi ( born July 19, 1973) is an Indian-born American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2017. The district includes many of Chicago's western and northwestern suburbs, such as Hof ...
,
Aneesh Chopra Aneesh Paul Chopra (born July 13, 1972) is an American executive who served as the first Chief Technology Officer of the United States. He was appointed in 2009 by President Barack Obama and was at the White House through 2012. Chopra previously ...
,
Vivek Kundra Vivek Kundra (born October 9, 1974) is a former American administrator who served as the first chief information officer of the United States from March, 2009 to August, 2011 under President Barack Obama. He is currently the chief operating offic ...
, Jay Goyal, and Kesha Ram among others.


Mission and ethos

As a
bipartisan Bipartisanship, sometimes referred to as nonpartisanship, is a political situation, usually in the context of a two-party system (especially those of the United States and some other western countries), in which opposing political parties find co ...
political action committee, USINPAC focuses on diverse issues relevant to the
Indian-American Indian Americans or Indo-Americans are citizens of the United States with ancestry from India. The United States Census Bureau uses the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Native Americans, who have also historically been referred to ...
community at large. Particular issues of note have related to legal immigration,
counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or ...
,
business relations Business relations are connections between stakeholders in the process of businesses, such as employer–employee relationships, managers as well as outsourced business partners. The association of businesses began relationships that have been cons ...
,
global health Global health is the health of the populations in the worldwide context; it has been defined as "the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide". Problem ...
,
religious freedom Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
,
education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
, and US-India trade. USINPAC has also donated significant funding to the political campaigns of Democratic and
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
politicians, and in 2009, Puri asserted to the press the USINPAC wanted to ensure that Indian-American candidates "don’t have to think twice about running because they didn't get the financial resources." USINPAC's stance against giving aid directly to the
government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territorie ...
has at times led to accusations of an anti-Pakistan bias, as have USINPAC's periodic collaborations with organizations such as the American Jewish Committee. USINPAC has assured the press their stance is not the result of a religious or cultural bias, clarifying that the group is "not anti-Pakistan, but in the Kashmir and other sub-continental issues, the group looks after the Indian interests." Among other organizations, USINPAC has worked closely with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on issues, often jointly lobbying Congress in support of minority interests.


Key people

The following are key members of the executive committee as of 2015: *Sanjay Puri - Chairman, Founder *Surabhi Garg - VP of Finance and Operations *Robinder Sachdev - Director of India Affairs *Vikram Chauhan - Director of the Smart Cities Initiative, Founder *Manish Thakur - Director of US-India Security * Dr. Rahul Jindal - Director of Healthcare *Dolly Kapoor - Director of US-States Outreach *Rahul Srinivasan - Director of the Energy Initiative


Further reading

* * * * * *


See also

*
Diaspora politics in the United States Diaspora politics in the United States is the study of the political behavior of transnational ethnic diasporas, their relationship with their ethnic homelands and their host states, as well as their prominent role in ethnic conflicts. This arti ...
*
Hinduism in the United States Hinduism is a minority religion in the United States of America, ranking fourth-largest after Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and constituting 1% of the population. The vast majority of American Hindus are immigrants from South Asia (mainly I ...
*
Ethnic interest groups in the United States Ethnic interest groups in the United States are ethnic interest groups within the United States which seek to influence the foreign policy and, to a lesser extent, the domestic policy of the United States for the benefit of the foreign "ethnic kin ...
* Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America * India-United States relations


References


External links


USINPAC.com

USINPAC
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{{India–United States relations United States political action committees Foreign policy political advocacy groups in the United States Immigration political advocacy groups in the United States Organizations established in 2002 2002 establishments in Washington, D.C. India–United States relations