President Joe Biden’s decision to endorse Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee has brought new energy and excitement to the party. Prominent Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi shared his thoughts on this significant development.
Vice President Harris received Biden’s endorsement after he decided to drop out of the presidential race. Biden announced his decision to unite the party, following a disappointing debate performance against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“It’s exciting. I mean, I think there’s no other word for it. It’s exciting. It created a burst of energy and enthusiasm, positivity within the Democratic Party,” Krishnamoorthi told PTI.
“I think she’s going to make a great nominee. She’s a formidable contender. I think she’s the best qualified candidate on our side and I think she’s going to make an excellent president.”https://t.co/6A3MSPkCtE
— Raja Krishnamoorthi (@RajaForCongress) July 24, 2024
Krishnamoorthi, a Democratic lawmaker from Illinois, plans to campaign for Harris in Wisconsin. He believes Harris is the right person to challenge Trump and bring the party back to the White House.
“She’s hit the ground running, been greeted by boisterous crowds. I think that people feel like, nothing’s a guarantee, but we have a shot. We have a chance now to win back the White House, and we need somebody who can take the case to Donald Trump. I can’t think of someone else better than Kamala Harris to do that right now,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Harris’ campaign raised over USD 130 million in just three days. Krishnamoorthi highlighted the importance of this grassroots support.
“If you do this every three days, it’s going to be a pretty tremendous amount of money at some point. It’s actually a fabulous sum as it is. All that being said, we’re up against forces that can tap into unlimited amounts of money. So, it’s significant that she’s able to raise that much money from so many people. Remember, these are grassroots supporters who are putting in money, and I think that’s a big deal,” he said.
On the rise of Indian Americans in politics, Krishnamoorthi noted that they are following a path taken by many immigrants.
“There’s this old saying in Washington DC, if you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re on the menu. Now, I think Indian Americans in a big way are pulling up the proverbial seat to the table and making sure that their issues are addressed, that their concerns are met, and that they are also contributing back to society as a whole and paying it forward,” he said.
He emphasized the need to continue raising resources and communicating priorities that resonate with everyday people.
“The next president is going to need to both deal with certain issues which the electorate is very concerned about right now, such as, for instance, protecting reproductive freedom, making sure that we take care of the border and the immigration system which is really tied together. We have to solve our legal immigration system problems which are a mess and deal with the border simultaneously,” he said.
Krishnamoorthi added that the future president must address global technological competition and improve the standard of living for future generations.
“They also want an elected official who’s going to look forward. What are the challenges of the future? How do you defeat the Chinese Communist Party in this global technological competition that we have? How do we make sure that we continue to raise our standard of living so that our children are better off than we are? Those are the types of questions that she’s going to need to face going into the Oval Office,” he said.
