Ed Royce to co chair Congressional India Caucus

Ed Royce, the top Republican lawmaker from California, will co-chair the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans in the 112th Congress next year.

Royce, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and long-time advocate of close US-India ties, continues in the role he has held in previous Congresses.

"I am honoured to serve as a key promoter of US-India relations. As we saw during the consideration of the US-India civil nuclear agreement, Congress plays a key role in building this relationship. I am looking forward to seeing how strong we can make our economic, military and political ties," said Royce, who helped shepherd Indo-US deal through Congress in 2006.

 

Noting that the US-India relationship has made great strides since the Caucus started, Royce said nothing can be taken for granted.

"The Obama Administration has been spotty on relations with India. I don't think it fully appreciates India's importance or the threat it faces. The Caucus will keep pressing to make that case," he said.

A day earlier, Royce was appointed Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-proliferation and Trade in the 112th Congress.

"South Asia will play prominently in Subcommittee's agenda: whether it is exposing illicit proliferation networks, the growing menace of regional terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, or growing US-India trade links," Royce said.

"Ed has been a fantastic leader of the Caucus. I look forward to working with him in the next Congress. He has been an important voice for the relationship and the values that bind the US and India," said one time co-chairman of the Congressman Joe Wilson.

Since its inception, the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans has grown from a handful of members to one of the largest on Capitol Hill.

Congressman Joseph Crowley was named Democratic Co-Chair of the bipartisan group.

Representing the 40th District of California, Royce has been instrumental in strengthening relations between the US and India. He was Co-Chair of the India Caucus in the 107th and 111th Congress.

He was designated by Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to be an official member of then-President Clinton's historic delegation to India in 2000. He travelled several more times to India.