Washington:
A freshman Republican lawmaker has apologised for mistaking two senior US government officials as Indian when they testified at a congressional hearing.
Rep Curt Clawson caused puzzlement at a hearing of a House subcommittee hearing on Thursday on US-India relations. He referred to the South Asian nation as "your country" when he addressed the State Department and Commerce Department officials, who are both ethnic Indian.
Clawson said in a statement yesterday: "I made a mistake in speaking before being fully briefed and I apologise. 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.