Nominee envoy to India says human trafficking high priority

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's choice to be the next ambassador to India says he would make the millions of people reported to be in bonded labor in the South Asia country a "very high priority."

Lawmakers pressed the nominee, Kenneth Juster, at his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday on human rights issues that irritate generally positive relations between the world's two largest democracies.

Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin said it was "unacceptable" that an estimated 18 million people in India are in bonded labor or slavery.

Juster responded that the issue was of "great concern" to both him and the U.S. government.

He said he would seek the "best interlocutors to move this forward" with India, not just in the national government, but at the state and local level and with non-government groups.