US Congressman Rich McCormick, a member of President Donald Trump’s Republican Party, issued a pointed comparison between India and Pakistan. He highlighted the economic and strategic benefits New Delhi brings to the United States, a contrast he says Islamabad fails to match.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), McCormick emphasized that sidelining India in Washington’s strategic calculus could be “big trouble for all of us.”
India Brings Investment and Talent, Pakistan Falls Short: US Congressman
Despite Pakistan’s population of nearly 300 million, McCormick argued, the country neither attracts nor contributes significant investment to the US economy.
“Pakistan is a country with 300 million people, but you don’t see it bringing investments into America. India not only takes investments, but it also brings investments into the United States,” McCormick said.
The Congressman also underscored India’s role as a source of global talent, particularly in key sectors of the US economy.
“Talent matters, and India is supplying a tremendous amount of talent, not just in exporting talented people, but also in what they are filling in,” he added, highlighting India’s growing influence beyond financial flows.
US-Pakistan Relations And US Congressman’s Comments
McCormick’s remarks come amid scrutiny in India over President Trump’s outreach to Pakistan, a shift from previous US administrations that have often regarded India as a strategic counterweight to China in the Indo-Pacific region.
However, Trump sent a clear signal to Islamabad by halting the processing of immigrant visas for Pakistani citizens, indicating limits to the warming engagement.
Indian-Origin Congressman Backs McCormick
Backing McCormick’s assessment, Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera, a Democrat, highlighted that US companies continue to prioritize India over Pakistan for long-term investments.
“America is not creating a strategic partnership with Pakistan. American companies are not putting multi-billion-dollar investments in Pakistan. All of that is happening in India,” Bera said.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
