Sean Patrick Maloney: “last January, instead of celebrating one of the most important dates on the calendar for the people of India--the 51st…”

“last January, instead of celebrating one of the most important dates on the calendar for the people of India--the 51st anniversary of the Republic of India, we unfortunately mourned the death of hundreds of people who died in the tragic earthquake. At that time, many of us stood on the House floor to offer our sincere condolences and deepest sympathies. Today, we stand on the floor to offer disaster relief funding for India in order to cope with that earthquake. The rebuilding of the state of Gujarat is an enormous challenge, with economic damage possibly topping $5 billion. This amendment demonstrates our support for our friends in India and proves that we are here to help in their time of need. US-India relations are warmer than they have been in years. We have seen a dramatic increase in economic and family ties. As the largest democracy in the world, India has shown a genuine commitment to improving its economic ties to the United States and the U.S. and India have formally committed to work together to build peace and security in South Asia, increase bilateral trade and investment, meet global environmental challenges, fight disease, and eradicate poverty. This is an important time in US-India relations and this is an important amendment that deserves our support.”