Indian-American Ro Khanna appointed to White House COVID19 advisory council

Washington, Apr 17 (PTI) Indian-American Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has been appointed to White House coronavirus visory council to combat dely disease in US, which has seen a record number of deaths in past two days.

Khanna, 43, is only Indian-American lawmaker to be named to White House's Opening Up America Again Congressional Group which comprises Congressmen from both Republican and Democratic parties.

first meeting of group was held on Thursday over a phone call.

dialogue included a range of topics, namely need for ditional funding for Paycheck Protection Programme, international and domestic supply chains, ways to energise ecomy, surprise medical billing, clarifying difference between essential and n-essential workers, mental health, and relief for small businesses, White House said in a reout of call.

confirmed coronavirus death toll in United States reached 32,917 on Thursday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. More than 667,800 coronavirus cases have been recorded in United States.

ditionally, group discussed rapidly expanding access to COVID-19 diagstic and antibody tests, ventilators, face masks, and or PPE kits.

President Donald Trump was pleased to hear such positive feedback from members about work that ministration is doing to keep America healthy and prosperous, and thanked m for ir participation, it said.

Khanna said that as a member of Council, he will continue to fight to get working class Americans relief y need to make it to or side of COVID-19.

"I will call for massive investment in vanced manufacturing, in invative scientific vancement, and in smart techlogy,” he said.

"Alrey, we have seen that America was too dependent for crucial medical equipment and electronics on China, Germany and or nations. Like Eisenhower did during Cold War, we can reshape future of American industry to rebuild our ecomy if we harness power of American invation," Khanna said.

American people need action, support, and direction from federal government. Small Business ministration's Paycheck Protection Programme just ran out of funds to keep Main Street afloat. Millions of Americans are filing for unemployment every week, he said.

"That's why I, along with several of my Democratic colleagues, decided to accept President Trump's invitation to serve on White House coronavirus visory council," he ded.

Khanna, represents California's 17th Congressional District, located in heart of Silicon Valley, and is serving in his second term.

Prior to serving in Congress, Khanna taught ecomics at Stanford University, law at Santa Clara University, and American Jurisprudence at San Francisco State University. He has also worked as a lawyer. PTI LKJ TIR AMS AKJ AMS