Harris' endorsement as presidential nominee created burst of energy in Democratic Party: Krishnamoorthi

Washington: President Joe Biden's decision to endorse Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee has generated a burst of energy and enthusiasm within the party and it now has the chance to win back the White House, prominent Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has said.

Over the weekend, Vice President Harris was endorsed by Biden, who announced his decision to drop out of the race for the White House.

On Wednesday he told the nation that he did this to unite the party. Following Biden's dismal performance at the debate against Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, there was a sense of disappointment in the party.

“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,” Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi told PTI in an interview.

Krishnamoorthi, a 51-year-old Democratic Party lawmaker from Illinois, said he plans to campaign for Harris in the key battleground state of Wisconsin on Saturday.

“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,” Krishnamurthi said.

In three days after she became the party’s likely presidential candidate, Harris' campaign has raised over USD 130 million.

“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.

Responding to a question on the rise of Indian Americans in politics, Krishnamoorthi, who serves as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee On Oversight And Reform, said they are following a well-worn path that various immigrants have taken in this country.

"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.

Over the next 100 days, he said there's going to be a constant requirement to continue to raise resources, but there's also a requirement to set forth a message, to be disciplined in talking about priorities, making sure those priorities are ones that resonate with everyday people and families who are watching carefully to see whether the person in the White House or the next person in the White House is going to be fighting for them.

Responding to a question, Krishnamoorthi said the next president is going to have a lot on his or her plate.

“I think 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.

“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.