'Congressional Caucus working on legislative agenda for

The Congressional Caucus on India is working on a legislative agenda to push the Indo-US ties through US Congress in the next two years, Tulsi Gabbard, the new co-chair of the influential group has said.
"We are continuing to work on this, in consultation with the other members of our caucus, as well as leaders within the community here. Once we reach a consensus, then we'll share that vision, that agenda, and begin to execute a plan to carry it out," she told PTI.
Gabbard, the three-term Congresswoman, was last week elected as the Democratic co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans.

Founded in 1994, the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, she said, has played a key role in driving forward the Indo-US ties.
"Strong groundwork has been laid, and we're now at a place where there is great interest, great excitement and great commitment towards continuing to strengthen the US-India ties," Gabbard, the first Hindu ever elected to the US House of Representatives, said.
"We're also dedicated to empowering Indian-Americans who are living here in the United States and creating new opportunities in different sectors for people here and the people of India to work together across different industries, different institutions, and, of course, our borders," she said.

She said bilateral cooperation on security is "at the highest level now than it's ever been, with many shared interests".

"The common objective of counter-terrorism and defeating terrorist groups is something that remains at the forefront and a high priority," the powerful Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii.
Gabbard said "there are mutually beneficial economic opportunities" that the two nations need to continue to explore.
"We're also looking at other areas like education and cultural exchanges between our two countries, as well as creating more opportunities for people of our countries to become more informed and to better know each other in order to strengthen these bonds," Gabbard said.

"This is one reason that for the last few years, I worked on creating the Hawaii-Goa sister state partnership, which was recently formalised legislatively," she said, adding that the formal ceremonies are yet to occur.
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Gabbard said over different administrations, whether it's been Democrats in the White House or Republicans in the White House, the caucus has continued to grow and continued to do its work in strengthening the US-India relationship."
"I would argue the caucus is stronger now than it's been before, and the relationship between our two countries is stronger than it's been before. There is shared agreements across Republicans and Democrats that there is nothing but potential to be able to continue down this path in different sectors, and in different ways. I'm confident that we will continue to do that," she said.

Gabbard noted that there is not much known yet on the specifics of policies that will come from Trump administration.
"But the commitment is there from Congress, from Republicans and Democrats in both the House and the Senate, to continue upon the work that we have already done," she asserted.
Soon after the historic win of Donald Trump in the November 8 general elections, Gabbard had met the then president-elect.
Gabbard said Trump administration has stated clearly their commitment to fight terrorism, but exactly what that means, how, and where, she has no insight into.
"I'm focused on the role of Congress as we look at the proposed budget, the funding bills that will come, and the policies that we have in place. This is something that is important and should be important to all of us," she said.

Gabbard said the bilateral ties has deepened and strengthened after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power.
"It's clear that under President Obama and Prime Minister Modi, that both leaders of the United States and India placed building a stronger relationship between our two countries as a high priority. And through the process, it became clear that both of these men actually became friends as well," she said.
"I know that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump have already spoken. My hope is that this relationship remains a high priority for the new administration as well," Gabbard said in response to a question.