Mumbai: Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera, who led a Congressional delegation to India this week, has said “only a small handful of people” are taking major policy decisions in Washington without any consultations with the Congress, and “just one rogue individual with a handful of advisers” is making rash statements. He also said the Indian diaspora, which has largely been silent, needs to speak up.
In an interview with ThePrint, Bera, who represents Sacramento in the US House of Representatives, also said his Republican colleagues need to raise their voice on the Trump administration’s policy decisions that threaten to derail the carefully cultivated relationship between India and the US.
The Democrat member was in India this week to meet government and corporate representatives amid a strain in ties between India and the United States, with President Donald Trump having levied a 50 percent tariff on Indian exports, and decided to increase the application fee for H-1B visas to $100,000.
Bera said these decisions, along with President Trump’s mixed signals with regards to US’ relationship with Pakistan, have made it important for Congressmen like him to “re-engage and reassure” the Indian people and government that the US Congress has not changed its perspective about wanting a long-term strategic and business relationship with India.
“What is alarming is that these policies are being created by only a small handful of people. If this was in consultation with the Congress and there was a thoughtful deliberate approach, I would be less worried. But, it’s just one rogue individual with a handful of advisers making rash statements without thinking through the global implications of his statements,” Bera told ThePrint on the concluding day of his India visit.
Bera said he would like to tell Indians that Trump is neither speaking for the Congress, nor for the business community in the US.
The White House ‘inner circle’
In his first stint, President Trump had advisers providing a counter narrative, which seems to be absent now, said Bera, who has served in the US Congress for 14 years.
He said that major policy decisions such as the hike in the application fee for H-1B visas was taken by “a small inner circle in the White House”.
“I don’t actually know what the decision making process is. The H-1B decision as an example. It is pretty clear to me that the secretary had no idea what the policy was like. He made statements and then a few hours later had them back tracked. You don’t make major policy changes like this. Congress was not consulted, industry was not consulted,” Bera said.
He, however, added that policies such as the H-1B visa fee hike and the 50 percent tariffs levied by the US on Indian goods can indirectly help India demonstrate its resilience.
A delegation of five US Congresspersons from @HouseFloor along with by 06 Congressional Staff visited @IN_WNC on 24 Sep 25.
The delegation held discussions with VAdm Krishna Swaminathan, #FOCINC #WNC and other senior officers of the Command on operational matters, maritime… pic.twitter.com/TojlBEOZE3
— Western Naval Command (@IN_WNC) September 25, 2025
“The $100,000 H-1B visa fee is going to hurt American companies. But this is an opportunity for India. The big companies like Microsoft and Google can go figure this out. But if I am a small startup in the US, I can’t afford to pay $100,000 for skilled technical workers on H-1B. But, why wouldn’t I just set up operations in India to sort some of those issues. This is an opportunity for India to show its resilience,” Bera said.
As per Bera, while the US tariffs will hurt low-skilled Indian workers, they threaten to hurt the American consumers even more as prices rise. He said India can eventually absorb in its growing domestic market the workers impacted by the US tariffs
‘Diaspora needs to speak up’
Bera said that during his India visit, he met the foreign secretary, industry representatives across sectors including technology and pharmaceuticals, and also visited the Western Naval command in Mumbai.
He said the specific concerns that were raised during these meetings were around H-1B visas, president Trump’s overtures towards Pakistan, and what appears to be the specific targeting of India.
“Those are legitimate questions. India is not the only country buying Russian oil. I don’t know what’s driving President Trump because in the first Trump administration, between Howdy Modi and Namaste Trump, it seemed like the US President and Indian PM had a strong relationship. Trump has drawn support from certain segments of the Indian-American diaspora as well.So we have to figure it out. Is it someone like Peter Navarro who isn’t necessarily a friend of the Indian-American diaspora, and who does have access to the president,” Bera said.
With regards to concerns over US’ relationship with Pakistan, Bera said, the US has spent two decades trying to de-hyphenate India and Pakistan, and the approach hasn’t changed in the Congress or the Pentagon where Pakistan is not looked at as a “reliable partner.”
“What we are seeing is a president who is acting by himself. Do you think US businesses are going to make billion dollar investments in Pakistan? Do you think our Navy is going to be doing joint naval exercises with Pakistan? That’s not going to happen,” he said, adding he is not sure what’s driving Trump’s actions and hopes that it is not something as simple as wanting to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Bera said his Republican colleagues share his concerns “100 percent”, and a lot of them are “in shock.”
“I think the more seasoned leaders in the cabinet like Secretary Rubio, Lindsey Graham and others absolutely have to know better. I have sat through over a decade of Republicans hammering on Pakistan because Dr. Shakil Afridi who helped us catch Osama bin Laden ends up in jail. Is that our friend? They spent over a decade hammering Pakistan on these issues. Now all of a sudden they are just going to go silent? This is the time they are going to have to find their voice. We will look for mechanisms and get the Republican members on the record saying we support the US-India relationship,” he added.
Bera, whose family migrated from Gujarat to the US in the 1950s, said he doesn’t think the US administration is directly targeting the Indian-American diaspora specifically, but they are creating fear. Indian students are thinking twice before going back home for the holidays wondering if they will be able to return to the country.
Indian companies need to talk about the story of Indian investments in America, the number of jobs Indian companies are creating in America, Bera said.
“We need the Indian-American diaspora at this moment to step up and put pressure on those Republican members of Congress. Many of the CEOs of our leading companies are Indian-Americans. Now is not the time to stay silent. Now is the time to speak up,” Bera said.
‘Use diplomatic muscle with Russia’
On the punitive tariffs on Indian exports for purchasing Russian oil, Bera said the entire tariffs dispute is necessarily not just about that. It is just one piece of it. “Let’s put the Russian oil piece to the side. I think he is just using that. Why else is he not slapping a 50 percent tariff on China? Again ill-thought through, not consulted with Congress,” Bera said.
He, however, said India, which has a long-term relationship with Russia, can use its diplomatic muscle in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Bera said while he is not sure what the aim of the US President is, what he does know from his conversations with the Ukrainian government and its leaders is that the country is fatigued and wants an end to the conflict.
“They need security guarantees. I think India can play an active role… India can say let’s try to help you get that ceasefire you want. We will come to the table with that,” Bera said.
While India has an opportunity to be a central player, Bera warned that it will come at a cost as India has historically been non-aligned.
“They are moving to multi alignment and I am not really sure what that would look like. It is an opportunity for India to decide what it wants to be in the world, but that comes with responsibility so we will have to see,” he added.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also Read: Trade and tariffs were focus of Jaishankar’s meeting with Marco Rubio, says MEA