Hindu American PAC Presidential Endorsement Questionnaire
The Hindu American PAC (HAPAC), the only independent, non-partisan PAC representing the Hindu American community, sent both major party presidential campaigns a questionnaire addressing issues of contemporary concern. President Trump's campaign replied that the campaign would not be completing the questionnaire HAPAC created. Former Vice President Biden's campaign did consent to review the questionnaire, and then responded to all of the questions posed, and the response is published here in its entirety without alteration. To our knowledge, this is the first time a major party presidential candidate has responded to a questionnaire sent by a Hindu American group. Hindu American PAC appreciates the historic nature of this engagement by the Biden campaign.
HAPAC notes that the Biden campaign's answers specifically recognize that Hindu American students are being bullied on the basis of how Hinduism is misrepresented in classrooms and that this should be rectified; that crimes against Hindus and Hindu mandirs based on religion must be recognized as hate crimes; and the campaign expresses a commitment to ending country of origin caps for employment-based green cards. These domestic policy issues are of critical importance to the Hindu American community.
HAPAC also notes that in response to the final question posed to the campaign on cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Biden campaign stated that the Biden-Harris administrations will have "no tolerance" for terrorism in South Asia, "cross-border or otherwise." We welcome this recognition of the scourge of terrorism in South Asia, largely sponsored by Pakistan, and the Biden campaign's commitment to working closely with India as a "counter-terrorism partner."
Since the Trump campaign did not respond to the questionnaire, HAPAC will refrain from offering an official endorsement. Instead, HAPAC offers the full response from the Biden campaign here.