Washington, Nov 12 (PTI): Rolling back tariffs, reasserting the authority of the US Congress and affordable healthcare are the three top priorities for Indian-American Amish Shah as he embarks on his journey as a US Congressman.

Shah, who was elected from Arizona’s first congressional district, said he will use his new office to set a moral tone against the rising incidents of hate targeting immigrant communities in the US despite their contributions to diverse sectors.

“The American people have made it very clear that they want us to focus on costs and the economy. They want an economy that works for everybody. They want us to focus on healthcare, bringing down premiums and ensuring coverage for everyone,” Shah told a group of Indian reporters at Capitol Hill.

He said the Indian-American community, particularly those in the gems and jewellery sectors, has been hit by the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and he would endeavour to work towards addressing the issue.

“A lot of Indian-American entrepreneurs have come to me specifically and complained, and those concerns are top of mind,” said Shah, who was elected to the US House of Representatives in the November 3 midterm elections.

The 120th US Congress will convene on January 3 next year and run through January 3, 2029 – the final two years of US President Donald Trump.

Shah said he would use his experience as a three-term legislator in the Arizona House to work across the political aisle to deliver the promises he made to voters.

“I have pledged to work in a bipartisan fashion, just as I did in the State House. I had more bills signed into law than any Democrat in a decade in the State House, all through a Republican legislature,” he said.

On the rising incidents of anti-India hate, Shah said the American people have given their elected representatives a bullhorn to speak against hate and discrimination.

“A lot of people feel scared and alone at times like this. What they want is for their elected leaders to see it, condemn it, stand with them and combat it in the ways they can. What we are given here is a bullhorn to set the moral tone for the country,” Shah said.

Chicago-born Shah, who traces his familial roots to Gujarat, recalled how an act of generosity by his uncles paved the way for his mother to come to the US for higher education.

“It was the late 1950s, in Zaveri Bazaar in Bombay. A man named Mark Howard, a retired judge from Michigan, was wandering around. It was a hot day. He nearly passed out, and he was clearly in trouble,” Shah said.

He said his mother’s elder brothers, who ran a jewellery shop, brought him indoors and gave him a can of Coca-Cola, which led to a conversation.

“Based on that conversation, and by keeping in touch, he eventually sponsored my mother to come to the United States to study. She was a student at the Milwaukee School of Engineering starting in 1969. It was an act of generosity that my mother really made sure we knew about, because it’s the reason I am standing in front of you today,” Shah said. PTI SKU SHS

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