Rep. Crowley (D-NY)

April 22 –– Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, co-hosted a dinner with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to discuss business and political issues affecting the U.S-India relationship. “We talked about outsourcing and how we need to separate the rhetoric from the reality. It is vital to recognize the growing increase of insourcing in the United States. New jobs are being created all over the country with the help of Indian industries establishing U.S. offices,” Rep. Crowley said. Eleven other members of Congress, including the founder of the Caucus, Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and former co-chair, Jim McDermott (D-WA) as well as Steve Israel (D-NY), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Denise Majette (D-GA), Jim Marshall (D-GA), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), and Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) attended the meeting.

Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Rep. Conyers, Jr. (D-MI)

April 22 –– Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) reintroduced the bipartisan Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act in the House. Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Ike Skelton, (D-MO), Barney Frank (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), Mark Foley (R-FL), and Christopher Shays (R-CT), and more than 170 other original cosponsors, have urged this be made the law of the land in light of the dramatic increase in hate motivated violence since 9-11. “While the overall crime rate has grown by approximately 2 percent, the number of reported hate crimes have increased dramatically from 8,063 in 2000 to 9,730 in 2001, a 20.7 percent increase,” Rep. Conyers said on the House Floor.

India’s role in American pharmaceutical industry discussed

Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Grant D. Aldonas

April 27: –– At a joint session of the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on International Trade and Pharmaceuticals and Subcommittee on Health and Trade, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Grant D. Aldonas, said India could be a major market for U.S. pharmaceutical industry. The international marketplace is driven by an aging population, and the rising standard of living in developing nations, he said. “During the next five years, the high-growth markets are expected to be in North America, the Middle East, and Asia, especially China, India, and Korea,” he said.

Meanwhile, there are many unsatisfactory aspects in international trade agreements and Washington was working closely with U.S. industry “in tackling pharmaceutical trade problems that arise within the existing framework of the WTO in cases against India, Argentina and Brazil, among others, and under other trade agreements whenever possible.”

April 28: –– the Senate Foreign Relations Committee met to okay the nomination of James Moriarty as Ambassador to Nepal.