US House bill revives push for India-US parliamentary group
Washington: A bipartisan bill in the US House of Representatives seeks to establish a United States-India Interparliamentary Group, reviving a proposal for a formal channel between the US Congress and the Indian Parliament that has stalled twice before.
The bill, H.R. 10819, was introduced on Thursday by Republican Congressman James Gallagher of California. Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga of Michigan and Indian American Democratic Congressman Shri Thanedar of Michigan are original cosponsors.
The bill titled “To establish a United States-India Interparliamentary Group,” has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Gallagher said: “The Constitutional authority on which this bill rests is the Necessary and Proper Clause under Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the U.S. Constitution.”
Two earlier versions, the United States-India Interparliamentary Exchange Act, were introduced by Democratic Congressman Jim McDermott of Washington in 2007 and 2009. Neither received a vote.
Those bills said “Not to exceed 12 Members of Congress shall be appointed to meet annually” with “representatives of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha of the Parliament of India for discussion of common issues in the interest of relations between the United States and India.”
Half were to be named by the House Speaker, including “both Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans,” and half by the Senate President pro tempore.
The earlier bills authorised “no more than $100,000 for each fiscal year” for the group’s expenses and required an annual report to Congress on its spending.
Congress maintains similar interparliamentary groups with other countries. Huizenga leads the US-Canada Interparliamentary Group, according to his House biography.
Gallagher and Thanedar were part of a congressional delegation that met Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in New Delhi on September 27.