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Wilson Statement on First Female Indian President

Friday July 27, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Remarks as Prepared
July 27, 2007

CONTACT: Ryan Murphy
(202) 225-2452 (Office)
(202) 689-4825 (Cell)

Wilson Statement on First Female Indian President

WASHINGTON – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02), co-chair of the House Caucus on India and Indian Americans, today delivered the following statement on the floor of the House of Representatives.

“Madame Speaker, this week, history was made in India; Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil was elected President. Beginning July 25th, she became the first woman to serve as head of state, now serving as India’s 12th President.

“Mrs. Patil was born in 1934 in the western state of Maharashtra and has led a long political career. Joining the Congress Party in the early 1960s, she spent over two decades in the state legislature. She then went on to participate in national politics and served in both the lower and upper chambers of India’s national parliament. In 2004, Mrs. Patil became the first woman governor of Rajasthan. Congratulations to President Patil and best wishes for future success.

“As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chair of the India Caucus, this news is especially important to me. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President George Bush have developed a strategic partnership between India and America. Friendship between the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest democracy has never been better. The future is bright for both India and America.”

“In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th.”

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