House Passes Khanna-Sherman Amendment to Strengthen the U.S.-India Strategic Defense Relationship

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House voted to adopt an amendment led by Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA),Congressional India Caucus Vice Chair, and Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, as part of the annual defense authorization bill. The historic, bipartisan amendment calls for the strengthening of the U.S.-India defense partnership in response to increasing threats in the Indo-Pacific region.

"Given the uptick in Chinese aggression in India's Ladakh region and rising regional threats, it's imperative that we continue to strengthen America's defense and security relationship with India," said Congressman Sherman. "India is a natural American partner with which we share a unique bond based on common democratic values, and this amendment serves as an opportunity to further build on the U.S.-India strategic partnership to the benefit of both nations."

Currently, the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAASTA) imposes sanctions on countries who purchase arms from certain nations, such as Russia. While in the long term the United States must work to help India transition from Russian weapons, it's imperative that we assist India as it currently faces a precarious environment promulgated by aggressors like China.

The Khanna-Sherman Amendment will urge the Biden administration to issue India a waiver to ensure that it won't be subject to sanctions under CAASTA and allow India to be able to effectively deter regional aggressors. A CAASTA waiver in this instance stands in the best interest of the United States and for the continuance of the historic and strategically crucial United States-India defense relationship.

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