Committee on Foreign Affairs House of Re

American Compassion in India Committee on Foreign Affairs House of Re

More than 20 years ago, a handful of Members of Congress founded the caucus on India and Indian Americans. At that time the U. S. relationship with India focused more on what the two countries couldn't do together rather than what we could do together. Today, the U. S. relationship with India is one of our most important, driven by our shared interests and shared values. Trade between India and the United States continues to expand, supporting thousands of American jobs. Trade has nearly tripled from 36 billion in 2005 to over 107 billion in 2015. India's strategy to expand economic engagement in Asia aligns closely with our own Asia rebalance. From space exploration, to shared concerns in the Indian Ocean region, to economic growth, the U. S. and India are collaborating on more issues than ever before. India now participates in more military exercises with the United States than any country in the world. Once the sticking point between our governments, nuclear cooperation has become the lynchpin of a renewed U. S.-India partnership. On climate change, India has already ratified the Paris Agreement. Much of this progress is due to our people-to-people ties rooted in the 3 million strong Indian-American community. Thanks to their advocacy and the hard work of dedicated leaders of all political ideologies in both countries, the United States and India are now closer than ever before.