Asian American congressman leads Democrats on new House CCP committee

Rep. Raja Raja Krishnamoorthi will play a key role in new House committee.

Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus got what they wanted when House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries named three Asian American members, to serve on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill, will head the Democrats on the new committee. He'll be joined by Democratic Representatives Ro Khanna of Silicon Valley and Andy Kim of New Jersey.

Rep. Michelle Steel, a Korean American Republican representing parts of Orange County, California, is the only other Asian American on the committee with the responsibility investigating and developing policy to address the United States’ economic, technological, and security competition with the Chinese Communist Party.

One of the first items on the committee is the Chinese balloon flying across the United States. Although the Chinese say it is a weather balloon gone off course, US intelligence and military authorities claim that it has the capabilities of spying on "sensitive" facilities in the US.

In a show of bipartisanship, Select Committee on the CCP Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding the suspected Chinese spy balloon flying over the United States.

“The Chinese Communist Party should not have on-demand access to American airspace. Not only is this a violation of American sovereignty, coming only days before Secretary Blinken’s trip to the PRC, but it also makes clear that the CCP’s recent diplomatic overtures do not represent a substantive change in policy. Indeed, this incident demonstrates that the CCP threat is not confined to distant shores—it is here at home and we must act to counter this threat.”

One of the reasons CAPAC urged Jeffries to appoint CAPAC members on the committee is the concern that anti-Chinese rhetoric from the committee could fan the flames of racism plaguing AANHPI communities since the Donald Trump regime.

“We cannot forget that rhetoric used around economic competition with Asian countries has resulted in the verbal and physical harassment and even murder of Asian Americans here at home," cautioned Rp. Judy Chu, CAPAC chair. "Since March 2020 and former President Trump’s sustained references to the coronavirus as the ‘China virus,’ over 11,500 hate crimes and incidents against Asian Americans have been reported."

"I know that our CAPAC Members will stand ready to call out xenophobic anti-China rhetoric that we know exacerbates anti-Asian hate and violence against our communities. I know that our CAPAC Members will stand ready to call out xenophobic anti-China rhetoric that we know exacerbates anti-Asian hate and violence against our communities."

Krishnamoorthi, who is also a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is the lead Democrat on the Averting the National Threat of Internet Surveillance, Oppressive Censorship and Influence, and Algorithmic Learning by the Chinese Communist Party Act (ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act), which protects Americans by blocking and prohibiting all transactions from any social media company in, or under the influence of, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and several other foreign adversaries.

In the 117th Congress, the Indian American congressmember led bipartisan legislation that was signed into law, called the Gathering and Reporting Assessments Yielding Zero Overlooked Nefarious Efforts (Gray Zone) Act, which requires the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to produce a National Intelligence Estimate on different aspects of gray zone activities - actions that fall between ordinary statecraft and open warfare - that the PRC employs. Congressman Krishnamoorthi was also the lead Democrat on the bipartisan Transparency for Malign Chinese Investments in Global Port Infrastructure Act, which requires the DNI to study and report to Congress information related to Chinese global investments in port infrastructure.

"At a time when anti-Asian hate and violence are on the rise, it’s essential that this committee focuses its vital work on protecting all Americans from the threat posed by the CCP, while avoiding dangerous rhetoric that fuels the types of xenophobia that have endangered members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community,” added Krishnamoorthi.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

AAPI lawmakers recall the 1/6 Insurrection

In the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol, Rep. Andy Kim helped clean up the debris.

January 6, 2021 will forever be a day when America was attacked by domestic forces, a day of trauma and reflection about the fragility of democracy.

“Certain dates echo throughout history, including dates that instantly remind all who have lived through them, where they were and what they were doing when our democracy came under assault,” Vice President Kamala Harris said today (Jan. 6, 2022) as she introduced President Joe Biden for his remarks clearly placing the blame for the coup attempt on the "defeated president" Donald Trump.

Harris said some dates in U.S. history "“occupy not only a place on our calendars, but a place in our collective memory. December 7th, 1941. September 11th, 2001. And January 6th, 2021.”

“What they sought to degrade and destroy was not only a building, hallowed as it is,” said Harris, the first Asian American to be Vice President. “What they were assaulting were the institutions, the values, the ideals that generations of Americans have marched, picketed and shed blood to establish and defend."

Biden was even more clear in his forceful speech in which he said Trump "held a daggar at the throat of democracy."

AAPI members of Congress took time to recall the day when Insurrectionists -- egged on by a defeated Donald Trump -- and express their thoughts of the failed coup attempt and feared for their lives.

Rep. Andy Kim, D-NJ, sent out a moving thread on Twitter. He described the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol and how members of Congress gathered to finish confirming the results of the Presidential election.

Kim concluded with:

"There can be no compromise with those who would seek to overthrow our republic," said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill in a statement. "There can be no reconciliation. Instead, our focus must be on pursuing truth and justice...we must learn the truth of what happened that day, who was responsible, and how we can prevent any such events from ever occurring again.

"Today is a day of remembrance for that tragedy, a day of thanks for those who showed heroism ..., and a day of rededication to the work yet to be done to ensure it never happens again."

"That shocking and harrowing day was terrifying," recalled Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY.  "For hours, I was barricaded in a room off the House floor as the angry mob marched right outside my door. I feared for my life and called loved ones asking them to pray for me as these insurrectionists, spurred by then-President Trump, stormed the halls of Congress. I continue to be offended, appalled, and disgusted over the havoc and damage that they wreaked and their weaponizing of the American flag, and all Americans should feel the same regardless of party affiliation.   

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, used a video on Twitter to describe her horrifying experience on 1/6, hiding in the House gallery listening to the rioters outside the chamber slamming on the door and fearing for her life.

Despite recovering from knee surgery, she was able to hide behind her chair, holding  a gas mask and with a cane, duck under bannisters to escape the gallery.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal followed instructions to kneel down despite her surgically repaired knee.

"The insurrection is still surreal to me, and I continue to see the destructive and violent images of rioters when I walk through the Capitol," Meng continued. "As we reflect on the one-year anniversary of the attack, we must all stand united against the heinous acts that occurred on that dark day in our nation’s history. We must continue to address the hurt and pain that it has caused, the healing that needs to still take place, and do everything in our power to ensure that a situation like this never ever happens again.”

Rep. Bobby Scott, D-VA, looked towards the future. “Sadly, the threat to our Democracy is ongoing," he said. "Adherence to the former president’s ‘Big Lie’ about the 2020 election is now the most important litmus test for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. It has been used as pretext all over the country for rampant efforts to suppress the ability of Americans to vote, to install local and state election officials willing to openly ignore the legal votes of the people, and to enact other mechanisms to overturn the results of future elections.

“The House of Representatives has already taken important steps to protect the right to vote and maintain the integrity of our Democracy through passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act," Scott said, linking the Insurrection to the GOP's present-day attempts to restrict voting.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-CA, tweeted: "As I reflect on January 6, 2021, I'm reminded of the fragility of our democracy, troubled at how divided we are, frustrated at the siloed news information, and furious at my Republican counterparts who fail to condemn the actions of white nationalists and far-right extremists."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

Congressman takes steps to make October designated as Hindu Heritage Month

Hindu Americans celebrate Diwali in Minnesota.

Illinois Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi  submitted a statement in the House of Representatives Sept. 30, 2021, on recognizing October as Hindu Heritage Month. 

The statement is now part of the U.S. Congressional Record, the official daily record of proceedings in Congress. (His statement can be found in the Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 172 of Oct. 1.)

“I believe this acknowledgment is especially timely, given the disturbing rise of prejudice and racism in this country, including Hinduphobia as manifested in hateful speech and violent acts perpetrated against Indian Americans and Hindu houses of worship,” said Krishnamoorth,

Krishnamoorthi said that Hindu Americans are guided by Swami Vivekananda’s call to service and respect for all religions and all people. He said the Hindu religion dates back millennia and has profoundly influenced both ancient and modern cultures.

"Its message of religious tolerance, non-violence, and the universality of the human experience was introduced to this country in 1893 by Swami Vivekananda in his landmark address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Illinois," he said.

October holds a special significance as it is the birth month of Mahatma Gandhi and is often when Diwali is held. This resolution brings local awareness in recognizing and acknowledging the significant contributions made by Hindu Americans and seeks to increase awareness and understanding of the Hindu American community.

Several states including New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio, Texas, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Minnesota, Virginia and Massachusetts have proclaimed October as Hindu Heritage Month, according to the website hindumonth.org, as have several cities like Dallas, TX, and La Palma, CA.

California has marked Hindu Heritage Month for several years. The bill being first passed in California recognizes that this is the state with the largest Hindu American population in the United States.

October holds a special significance as it is the birth month of Mahatma Gandhi and is often when Diwali is held. This resolution brings local awareness in recognizing and acknowledging the significant contributions made by Hindu Americans and seeks to increase awareness and understanding of the Hindu American community.

California has marked Hindu Heritage Month for several years.  The state  is home to the largest Hindu American community in the U.S.

Hindus are primarily an immigrant community and first started immigrating to California and the United States in the early 1900s, and came in increasing numbers after the lifting of the Asian Exclusion Act of 1924 in 1943 and the abolishment of quotas for immigrants based on national origin in 1965.

The first Hindu temple in the United States was built in San Francisco, and at the dedication of the temple on January 7,1906, it was proclaimed to be the “First Hindu Temple in the Whole Western World.” There are now over 120 Hindu temples, religious centers, and cultural centers throughout California, and the greater bay area is home to over 40 of those temples and centers.