Washington: Lawmakers pressed the State Department to make the US ambassador to India available for congressional testimony, underscoring the strategic importance of the bilateral relationship and calling for greater oversight.
During a House subcommittee hearing on South and Central Asia on Wednesday (Local time), Democratic Ranking Member Sydney Kamlager-Dove asked Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur whether he would work with lawmakers to bring Sergio Gor, Ambassador to India, before the committee.
“You oversee the ambassadors,” Kamlager-Dove said, adding that “it would be important for him, given both of his roles, to come before the committee and answer questions, because as you mentioned, as we’ve all mentioned, this is an incredibly strategic and important and mighty region.”
Kapur defended the ambassador’s performance.
“Mr. Gor is, I think, a very effective ambassador,” he said.
He added that Gor “has done under his — actually, just he’s been there a short time. We’ve had a number of really good outcomes.”
Kapur also emphasised Gor’s relationship with the White House.
“He’s also a close confidant of the President. He has his trust and confidence, and he and I work together well,” he said.
However, Kapur stopped short of committing to a public appearance before the panel.
“I will discuss — discuss this possibility,” he said.
Kamlager-Dove pressed further, asking directly whether Kapur would “work with us to bring him here.”
“Well, he and I discuss many issues, and we will discuss — discuss this possibility,” Kapur repeated.
During the hearing, Kapur described India as anchoring “the western half of the Indo-Pacific,” while lawmakers highlighted the importance of the new US-India trade framework and expanding defence ties.
The request for Gor’s testimony comes amid heightened attention to ambassadorial accountability and coordination between the State Department and Congress.
Lawmakers signalled that, given India’s central role in US strategy — from counterbalancing China to maritime security in the Indian Ocean — direct engagement with the ambassador would provide clarity on diplomatic priorities and implementation.
Kapur reiterated that he and the ambassador maintain regular coordination and that Gor holds the President’s “trust and confidence.”
The hearing concluded without a firm commitment on timing, but the issue underscored Congress’s intent to remain closely involved in shaping and monitoring US engagement in South Asia’s most consequential bilateral relationship.
The US-India relationship has expanded significantly over the past two decades across defence, trade and technology sectors. As Washington positions New Delhi as a central partner in the Indo-Pacific, congressional oversight of diplomatic leadership and policy execution has taken on added significance.
(IANS)
