Sheila Jackson Lee: “As a cosponsor and a member of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, I rise in strong support of H.R.…”

“As a cosponsor and a member of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5517, the ``Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act'', which establishes an exchange initiative between the United States and India to study the work and legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. First and foremost, I wish to express my gratitude and fondness for my former colleague and dear friend, John Lewis, who passed away a few months ago, for introducing and leading this vital piece of legislation. By passing this bill today, we authorize the U.S. Department of State, in cooperation with the Indian Government, to incorporate three new programs: the Gandhi-King Scholarly Initiative, which creates an annual educational forum for scholars from both countries that focuses on the legacies of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr; the Gandhi-King Global Academy, a United States Institute of Peace (USIP) program tasked with developing a professional development training initiative on conflict resolution based on the principles of nonviolence; and the United States-India Gandhi-King Development Foundation, which establishes a foundation to address social, environmental, and health priorities in India. Mr. Speaker, Congressman Lewis was a giant among us mere mortals.…”