US lawmakers have sought to end any ambiguity over Washington’s strategic priorities, asserting that India, not Pakistan, is America’s enduring partner as rivalry with China defines global geopolitics. Addressing concerns triggered by recent diplomatic optics involving Pakistan, Representative Ami Bera said there is no strategic partnership with Islamabad and highlighted the scale of US corporate investment and long-term engagement with India instead. Representative Rich McCormick reinforced that view, calling India essential not just for US interests but for worldwide stability, especially as Beijing pushes to reshape global rules across trade, technology, and security. Lawmakers emphasized that India’s democratic system, economic growth, and independent yet compatible foreign policy make it central to the US long game, while Pakistan remains outside the Indo-Pacific framework. With China clearly identified as the principal adversary, Washington sees India as the democratic counterweight capable of influencing the balance of power for decades.