Posted on 01/29/2005 10:47:27 PM PST by CarrotAndStick
Washington, Jan 30 (IANS) Congressman Bobby Jindal has said he would do whatever he can to strengthen bilateral relations between India and the US.
"I will do everything I can to strengthen the relationship," Jindal, Republican from Louisiana, told IANS in an interview. "I have personally asked the president to visit India and I believe he has said he will be going some time this year.
"I think it should become routine for a president to visit India, whether it is a Republican or a Democratic president, just as every president goes to Europe."
The 33-year-old Congressman said the economies of the two democracies were growing increasingly interdependent and they shared the goal to fight terrorism.
Jindal said his policy focus in Congress would be education, healthcare and the environment.
As the sole Indian American in the House of Representatives, the second to make it to those hallowed halls 50 years after California Democrat Dalip Singh Saund, Jindal feels the pressure to prove himself.
"Indian Americans have been very supportive and very excited that I'm here and want me to make a difference as quickly as possible," he said. "They know, I will make a difference, but I am part of a process."
Jindal already seems to have made his mark.
Things were going very well for him so far, Jindal said. He was excited to be there, to be elected a leader for Freshmen Republicans, meeting the defence secretary and the health secretary, being called to the floor twice to run special orders, and introducing his first bill - a hectic schedule by all counts.
Into the third week of his term on Capitol Hill, Jindal dwelt on the emotions that surged in him when he was sworn in on the floor.
"It was an incredibly proud moment for me when I was sworn in. As I have said before, I am proud of my parents and first generation immigrants who came to this country. It was a very special moment for my father and for me.
"It was a great moment for me to bring my daughter to the floor with me. Having both of them there summed up why I went into public service," he said.
"I have a strong interest in education, in health plans for the small business community, and in the Resources Committee to help save Louisiana's coastline. We are losing around 50 km of coastline a year!"
He said he was going to make sure the re-authorisation for the Higher Education Act goes through. Jindal was formerly president of the Louisiana University System.
He has made his interest in healthcare reform known as well as in social security.
Having served as executive director on the president's National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare (Breaux-Thomas Commission) and as President George W. Bush's advisor on health policy as assistant secretary of health and human services, Jindal is especially equipped to deal with health.
Even though he is not on the Health Committee in Congress, the three committees he has been placed in are linked to health issues in one way or the other. And he is making no bones about how he can play a key role in garnering bipartisan support for the president's social security and health agendas.
Jindal has not gone the whole hog in supporting Bush's views on bringing about changes in social security.
"At this time they (administration) say they recognise there is a serious problem with social security and that it must be dealt with. I am not one of those to rush to take positions. I am not at all opposed to giving workers choices, certainly younger workers.
"But at this point the administration has to make sure details are known. Let President Bush give his State of the Union address. I think it's too early for us to take positions for or against," Jindal contended.
He applauded the achievements of Indian Americans in this country and the expanding number of areas they are excelling in and advised immigrants to "follow their dreams".
Indo-Asian News Service
For clarifications/queries, please contact IANS NEWS DESK at 2616-5778/8546, 2617-3369 or mail us at support@eians.
Why does the headline say Jindal is a Senator while the article says he is in the House? I think the article is correct.
"I will do everything to strengthen India-US ties: Jindal"
I hope so. My wife has been a naturalized US citizen for over 20 years now but she is not an American and she never will be. She would never do anything in the interest of our country that would prejudice the interest of her homeland. I think there is a good reason the constitution of the United States requires that only a native born American can be President. In the age of terrorism, a piece of paper saying you are a citizen means nothing. Islamist don't recognize the nation-state. They serve only the Umma and seek global dominance.
I smell future cabinet space for him if a Republican wins in 2008.
The headline accudentally projected four years into the future, when Jindal defeats Mary Landrieu for her senate seat. Bobby Jindal is a PHENOM in the Republican Party. He barely lost the 2002 Governor's race, but He will move on to the Senate in 2008, when Freshman Senator Landrieu will be up for re-election. She barely won in 2002 in a run-off.
For all the noise about India pinching US jobs we also have to be grateful that the world's largest democracy is solidly behind the US, at least according to the recent BBC poll.
They have a massive population, they're nuclear, and they don't take shit from nobody.
Jindal was BORN AND RAISED in Louisiana. He is a dvout Catholic who will be one of the leading conservatives in the country for decades to come.
It's dangerous to assume he is foreign-born.
Born and raised in Louisiana. Here's his awesome bio (publik skool grad who went on to become a Rhodes Scholar):
Bio of Bobby Jindal
• Appointed by President George W. Bush as Assistant Secretary for
Planning and Evaluation for the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services
-- Served as health policy adviser to the Bush Administration.
• President of the University of Louisiana System
-- During his tenure, universities raised graduation and retention rates, and increased
private donations and the number of endowed chair positions.
• Executive Director, National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of
Medicare (Breaux-Thomas Commission)
-- Recommended ways to strengthen the $210 billion health care program that serves 40
million older and disabled Americans.
• Secretary, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
-- Responsible for rescuing Louisiana’s Medicaid program from bankruptcy by
turning a $400 million deficit into three years of surpluses totaling $220 million in part by
cracking down on fraud and abuse.
-- As spending was reduced by $1 billion, Louisiana moved to 3rd best nationally in health
care screenings for children, increased childhood immunizations to nearly 90 percent, and
offered new and expanded services for elderly and disabled persons.
• Consultant for McKinsey & Company
-- Advised CEOs/Senior Management of Fortune 50 companies.
Honors and Awards
• Brown University’s “Top 100” alumni
• Brown University’s Board of Trustees
• National Jefferson Award by the American Institute for Public Service for the Greatest Public
Service by an Individual Thirty-Five Years or Under
• Christus Health Advocacy Award for Leadership
• Scholastic Update Top 10 Extraordinary Young American for Next Millennium
• National Association of Government Accountants Achievement of the Year Award for
reforms at DHH
• Louisiana Association of Retarded Citizens Special Advocacy Award
• Baton Rouge Business Report’s Top 40 Under 40
• Louisiana’s Most Outstanding Young Man by the Junior Chamber of Commerce
• One of 20 persons in the country named to the All-USA First Academic Team by USA Today
• Esquire Magazine’s Best and Brightest
Personal Information
• Born and raised in Louisiana
• Married for 6 years to the former Supriya Jolly
• Father of Selia Elizabeth (age 2)
• Father of Shaan Robert (newborn)
Education
• Graduate of Louisiana Public Schools
• Graduate of Brown University with honors in biology and public policy
• Graduate Degree from Oxford University as Rhodes Scholar
My sincere apologies for the unfortunate affront.
Jindal has not gone the whole hog in supporting Bush's views on bringing about changes in social security.C'mon, Jindal. Go whole hog. You know you want to. And think of all those ingrate x'ers you will save from spending their golden years as walmart greeters.
Jindal is practising smart politics by not going whole hog
after any policy. He is only 33, so it is important that he
not come across as a non-thinking automaton supporting pres
Bush blindly on everything and anything.
I am quite impressed by the fact that he won in a southern
state such as Loisiana. Kudos to the voters there. GOP needs
more elected politicians from minorties to widen their appeal.
For years and years the democrats have demogogued the race
issue, and even today 90% of african-americans vote democrat
blindly, most against their own interest.
I hope he is successful in wooing India over to our side.
India has suffered much from Islamic terror and we do have much in ncommon.
I think BUsh has done much to eradicate the erronous racist image of conservatives in America.
The Republican Party is really a spectrum of every ethnic group today - not the Dems who are best represented by old rich white guys trapped in a socialist time warp - men like Kennedy, Gore and Corzine.
What's funny is that he is completely IDOLIZED in india, even though this was his first real comment on India -- ever! I don't think most Indians (in India) realize that Jindal is not a Hindu, but a devout Catholic.
We need to continue to encourage India to lower its protectionist trade barriers and modernize its economy. Many on Wall Street have said that China has a more pro-business enviornment than India. By improving India's business enviornment and lifting them up economically, foreign direct investment (FDI) headed to China will be diverted to India. This will help develop a strategic balance between the two emerging superpowers.
I think he was misquoted. The figure was probably 50 km2, not km. If it had been 50 km--the beachfront would long ago have been in Baton Rouge.
Some of the most patriotic Americans I know where born elsewhere (and that's not saying I am for altering the Constitution to let them run for Pres.)
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