The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended an event organized by the US Embassy in India at the Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai on Tuesday night, celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence.
It was the second time Rubio attended an Independence Day event in India in less than five months. He last visited in May this year for bilateral talks. The US Embassy in India, headed by US Envoy Sergio Gor, had organized an event in New Delhi then, also celebrating the 250th anniversary of US independence.
The coincidence was not lost on the Florida Republican as he spoke at the Mumbai event Tuesday. Rubio joked he is "starting to think all our embassy does here is throw parties."
Deep Dive
Why did Marco Rubio return to India less than five months after his previous visit?
Why did Rubio joke that the US Embassy in India only throws parties?
What did Rubio and Jaishankar discuss during the India visit?
"It's a great honor to be back with all of you here today," Rubio said, as he started his speech. "And I say be back because I was just here three or four months ago. And it's interesting.
"When I was here three or four months ago, Sergio threw a big 250 party in Delhi. And now we're here, another 250 party in Mumbai. And I'm starting to think all our embassy does here is throw parties.
{{/usCountry}}"When I was here three or four months ago, Sergio threw a big 250 party in Delhi. And now we're here, another 250 party in Mumbai. And I'm starting to think all our embassy does here is throw parties.
{{/usCountry}}"But we'll see what they come up with next year," he continued. "You can't celebrate 251 the same way. It's just not the same ring to it."
Rubio Tells Congressional Delegates: "Don't Go And Tell Washington All We Do Is Throw Parties ''
A group of bipartisan Congressional delegates from the US traveled with Marco Rubio and attended the events surrounding his October India visit. They were Missouri House Rep. Jason Smith, California's Rep. David Schweikert, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, Tennessee's Rep. Andy Ogles and Rep. Laura Friedman of Florida.
Rubio reserved a section in his speech where he addresses the Congressional delegates in attendance. He specifically asked them not to "go back and say (in the US) that all we do is throw parties."
Also read; Old Farmer's Almanac forecasts good news for Thanksgiving holiday travelers: Which areas are safest?
"I see that our colleagues from Washington, from the Congress, are here," Rubio said. "They know these issues that are being debated. And I'm also very grateful they have a very strong congressional delegation here, a bipartisan congressional delegation. I'm glad they're here because they pass the budgets that fund all the agencies. So don't go back and say that all we do is throw parties."
In fact, Rubio stuck to the party joke even as he ended his speech. Joking about the frequency of the America 250 parties in India, Rubio said: "While today we celebrate here the 250th birthday of the United States for the 18th time here in India. I'm kidding, they've only done it 12 times."