New York: New York Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney on Wednesday said at an event in New York, I’m very, very happy and excited to be introducing the Deepavali Day Act this week alongside members of the Congressional Indian Caucus, which will enshrine Diwali into law as a federal holiday. Maloney is a member of the Democratic Party.

She introduced a bill that aims to secure a federal holiday on Diwali. She is chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and former chair of the Joint Economic Committee, the first woman to hold both of these positions. Only 18 women have chaired Congressional committees.

I am so excited to introduce my Deepavali Day Act which would enshrine Diwali as a federal holiday. Let’s celebrate light over darkness, the triumph of good over evil, and the pursuit of knowledge over ignorance during this special time of year!https://t.co/NOHU1mCcWc

— Carolyn B. Maloney (@RepMaloney) November 4, 2021

She is most remembered among Indians for a seven year long battle, before US postal service, in 2016, finally issued a stamp commemorating Diwali.

She also tweeted 30 minutes of speeches by community leaders to this effect. This had 2,400 retweets at the time of publication. The legislation is co-sponsored by a number of US lawmakers, including Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamurthy. He has also introduced a resolution in the US Congress recognizing the religious and historical significance of Diwali.

Diwali this year symbolizes the nation’s continuing journey out of the darkness of Covid-19, she said. Maloney has authored and passed more than 74 measures, either as stand-alone bills or as measures incorporated into larger legislation packages. Twelve of these were signed into law at formal Presidential signing ceremonies.

She is the first woman to represent New York’s 12th Congressional District. The district includes most of Manhattan’s East Side, Astoria and Long Island City in Queens, Green Point, Brooklyn as well as Roosevelt Island.

She also made several law like the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, its reauthorization, and the ‘Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act to make sure all those suffering health aliments associated with 9/11 get the medical care and compensation they need and deserve;

The Debbie Smith Act, which increases funding for law enforcement to process DNA rape kits and has been called ‘the most important anti-rape legislation in history;’ and the Credit CARD Act, also known as the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights, which according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), saved consumers more than $16 billion annually since it was signed into law in 2009.