[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 13, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING SHRI NARENDRA MODI ON HIS RE-ELECTION AS CHIEF MINISTER 
                               OF GUJARAT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA

                           of american samoa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 13, 2013

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, in one of my first acts of the 113th 
Congress as the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on 
Asia and the Pacific which has broad jurisdiction for U.S. policy 
affecting the region, including India, I rise today to congratulate 
Shri Narendra Modi on his reelection as Chief Minister of India's 
Gujarat state.
  Shri Modi's new term as Chief Minister will be his fourth--an 
historic achievement for the Honorable Narendra Modi and his some 60 
million constituents, as no other CM has served Gujarat for as many 
terms. Shri Modi became the longest-serving CM of Gujarat in 2007.
  Since 2001, CM Modi has led a decade of unprecedented growth and 
development in Gujarat. Because of his extraordinary leadership, 
Gujarat is now an economic powerhouse with companies like Ford and 
General Motors also setting up factories in a move that promises to 
strengthen U.S.-India trade and investment.
  I thank Mr. Sanjay Puri, founder and President of the Alliance for 
U.S.-India Business (AUSIB), for the outstanding work he has done and 
continues to do in the U.S. Congress to promote U.S.-Gujarat trade and 
the Vibrant Gujarat initiative which has become an example of CM Modi's 
visionary approach for inclusive development.
  CM Modi's philosophy of bringing development to ``the doorstep of 
every poor person, every farmer, every worker'' is a philosophy that 
resonates beyond the boundaries of Gujarat because it is a philosophy 
that transcends caste, culture, regional and religious differences.
  I believe CM Modi's approach to empowerment is why Gujarat is now the 
global gateway to India. His philosophy of inclusiveness is the reason 
why delegates from more than 121 countries attended the Vibrant Gujarat 
2013 Summit to explore business opportunities and forge strategic 
partnerships. It is the reason why voters support Shri Modi time and 
again.
  Shri Modi's vision is rare. His leadership is remarkable. But his 
connection to Mahatma Gandhi is what strikes me most. Gujarat is 
Gandhi's land. By providence or otherwise, it is also the land where 
Shri Modi serves. As such, it is little wonder that Gujarat State, 
having historically given leadership to the entire Nation and now 
ranked first in economic freedom in India, continues to brighten the 
hopes and dreams of so many.
  With such accomplishment, it is my sincere hope that the United 
States will take a new look at Gujarat and support more openly and 
fully the ideas of CM Modi as he works for the betterment of the 
world's economy by creating jobs at home and abroad for purposes of 
improving the lives of people across the globe.

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