Parl delegation meets US lawmakers over immigration bill

Indian Parliamentarians met top American lawmakers to raise India's concerns over the immigration bill, in particular those related to the H-1B visa issues.
A delegation of seven MPs under the banner of India-US Forums of Parliamentarians of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), included Biju Janata Dal leader, Baijayant "Jay" Panda, Supriya Sule (Nationalist Congress Party), Bhakta Charan Das (Indian National Congress), Uday Singh (BJP), Partap Singh Bajwa (Indian National Congress), Manicka Tagore (Indian National Congress), and Prem Das Rai (Sikkim Democratic Front).
The Members of Parliament among others met Co-Chairs of the Senate India Caucus, Senators Mark Warner and John Cornyn and Co-Chair of the House Congressional Caucus, Congressmen Joe Crowley and Peter Roskam.

During the meeting, the parliamentarians effectively raised the issue of H-1B visa, which they argued would not only hurt Indian companies, but also India US relationships.
"Deputy Secretary Burns reviewed bilateral relations and regional priorities with the parliamentary group and welcomed the strong political support from across the political spectrum in the United States and in India for advancing US-India relations," the State Department said in a statement.
At the meeting held at the Capitol they also had meeting with Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi besides Ami Bera, the only Indian American lawmaker in the current Congress and Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu Congresswoman in the US House of Representatives and Congressman Ed Royce, who is Chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee.

They expressed satisfaction over the state of relationship between the two countries and said that there is bi-partisan support for strengthening ties between India and the United States.