Sherman Leads House Colleagues in Urging Biden Administration to Provide Additional COVID Assistance to India

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), the Democratic Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, led the India Caucus leadership and more than 50 of his colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden to urge the administration to bolster the United States' efforts to assist India as they continue to battle a devastating second wave of COVID-19 infections.

Today marked India's deadliest day with 4,205 deaths reported, carrying the total number of confirmed deaths to more than 250,000 fatalities. The sharp increase in cases has overwhelmed India's healthcare system. We must do our part to quell the virus everywhere it persists.

In their letter to President Biden, Congressman Sherman and his colleagues reflected on the strength of the U.S-India relationship, and relayed to the administration how India remains in need of additional medical equipment, supplies and other vital resources to help India emerge from this crisis.

Per Congressman Sherman and India Caucus leadership's previous conversation with India's Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India requires several items, most notably oxygen and oxygen production equipment. The letter requests the Administration take immediate action to provide India with the following items:

• Oxygen Cylinders, 10 liters and 45 liters Liquid Medical Oxygen Capacity
• Oxygen Concentrators
• Oxygen Generator Plants
• Cryogenic Oxygen Tanker/Container
• Remdesivir
• Tocilizumab
• Ventilators/BiPAP

"India's latest surge of COVID-19 infections is a humanitarian crisis that requires our assistance," said Congressman Brad Sherman. "As long as COVID persists in India, there is the potential for additional variants that could pose a serious threat to a vaccinated America. We must do our part to quell the virus anywhere and everywhere it persists. I thank my India Caucus colleagues for working together to help get India the oxygen, therapeutics, and personal protective equipment it so desperately needs."

A copy of the letter can be viewed here.