Page 18 - The Indian EYE 072222

North The Indian Eye

AMERICANNewsline

18 JULY 22, 2022

CAATSA WAIVER ON RUSSIAN MISSILE

How Congressman Ro Khanna worked

to get House approval for India

This amendment is the latest effort by members of Congress to underscore a strong defense

partnership between India and the United States, highlighting China’s threat to India’s security

REENA BHARDWAJ
Washington, DC
he US House of Representa-
tives on Thursday approved
Tlegislation that recommends
an India-specific waiver under the
Countering America’s Adversaries
Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA),
thus deepening defense ties between
both the democracies and help deter
aggressors like China.

The House approved the mea-
sure, offered by Democratic
Representative Congressman

Ro Khanna, an Indian-American
Congressman and a member of
the House Armed Services Act,
as an amendment to the annual

National Defense Authorization
Act (NDAA) by 330 to 99.

However, this amendment is
several steps from becoming law.
After the House passage of the with India in the face of escalating vance United States interests in the to India’s security.
NDAA - the Senate must approve aggression from China. As Vice Indo-Pacific region; and this part- Furthermore, in Khanna’s
its version. Then lawmakers must Chair of the India Caucus, I have nership between the world’s oldest amendment, there is a section titled
reach a compromise version of the been working to strengthen the and largest democracies is critical “Border Threats from China and re-
legislation, which authorizes more partnership between our countries and must continue to be strength- liance on Russian weapons”, which
than USD 800 billion in defense and ensure that India can defend ened in response to increasing proposes that the Congress recog-
spending, before voting again later itself along the Indian Chinese bor- threats in the Indo-Pacific regions, nize that India faces “immediate and
this year. der,” said Representative Khanna. sending an unequivocal signal that serious regional border threats from
This monumental amendment “This amendment is of the ut- sovereignty and international law China, with incessant military ag-
marks the most significant piece of most importance, and I am proud to must be respected. gression by the Government of Chi-
legislation for US and India rela- see it pass the House on a bipartisan This amendment is the latest ef- na along the India-China border”.
tions out of Congress since the US basis.” fort by members of Congress to un- It emphasized that the United
and India nuclear deal, according to He said that the India-US part- derscore a strong defense partner- States should take additional steps
a statement released by Khanna. nership, rooted in shared democrat- ship between India and the United to encourage India to accelerate its
“The United States must stand ic values, is critical in order to ad- States, highlighting China’s threat Continued at next page... >>

www.TheIndianEYE.com