Shillong: Congressman-elect Amish Shah wants to strip the White House of its tariff-setting power. He claims these duties hit Indian-American entrepreneurs hard and drive up the cost of basic goods for everyone. He plans to make lowering costs a pillar of his congressional agenda. Small businesses are struggling.
Shah cited the owner of Pizza Heaven, a local Arizona restaurant, who was forced to hike menu prices because of rising tomato costs. The congressman-elect argues that tariffs create unnecessary friction between Washington and New Delhi. He plans to join the India Caucus to help stabilize the economic partnership between the two nations. "Rolling back those tariffs, reasserting Congress' authority over tariffs and taking it away from the White House will be a top priority as well," Shah said.
Beyond economic policy, Shah is taking aim at a surge in anti-Indian hostility. He noted that the vitriol has reached record levels over the last year. He pointed out that some of this hate originates from political candidates. Shah insisted that public officials must condemn these attacks and boost security for worshipers. "Nobody should have to feel unsafe when they go to a place to worship," he stated.
Healthcare remains on his short list of urgent fixes. Shah backs a public option that allows Americans to buy into Medicare. He believes this move will drop private insurance premiums and bolster the program's bottom line. "It is their choice to buy in. And I believe it would lower healthcare premiums," he said. He also pledged to work across party lines, drawing on his history of passing bills in a Republican-controlled state legislature. "I have pledged to work in a bipartisan fashion, just like I did in the State House," he added.
The congressman-elect also addressed the Iran conflict. He wants Congress to reassert its authority to end the war while blocking Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and cooling fuel prices. Shah, whose family roots trace back to Gujarat, credits the generosity of those who helped his mother study at the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 1969 for his path to office. He plans to focus his initial efforts on district water supplies, healthcare, and everyday living costs.
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