Lawmaker sorry he mistook US officials as Indian

WASHINGTON (AP) — A freshman Republican lawmaker has apologized for mistaking two senior U.S. government officials as visitors from India when they testified at a congressional hearing.

Rep. Curt Clawson caused puzzlement at a hearing of a House subcommittee hearing Thursday on U.S.-India relations. He referred to the South Asian nation as “your country” when he addressed the State Department and Commerce Department officials, both ethnic Indian.

Clawson said in a statement Monday: “I made a mistake in speaking before being fully briefed and I apologize. I’m a quick study but in this case I shot an air ball.”

Clawson, former chief executive of an aluminum wheel company, won a special election in April to represent a district in Florida. He is the newest member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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