Indian American Lawmaker Elected Member Of Key US House Committee

Indian American Congressman Ami Bera has been elected as Ranking Member of a key House Foreign Affairs Sub Committee that handles the Indo-Pacific region.

Last November, Mr Bera, 57, was re-elected as a member of the US House of Representatives from the Sixth Congressional District of California. He is the senior-most Indian American lawmaker in the House that now has five such lawmakers in the 118th Congress.

In the 117th Congress, he chaired the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and non-proliferation, where he spearheaded efforts to reinvigorate US relationships with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific.

"I am proud to continue my leadership on the House Foreign Affairs Committee as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific remains the most consequential region of the world for our national security, economic interests, and values," Bera said in a statement on Wednesday.

"I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address the many challenges facing the region, including the People's Republic of China's aggressive and coercive actions, the dire need for economic recovery post-pandemic, and the backsliding of democracy and human rights," he said.

Congressman Bera added, "I look forward to continuing to help lead the Subcommittee's bipartisan work towards supporting a more free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific."