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On October 8, 2025, Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna, D-California, and Rep. Deborah Ross, D-North Carolina, led a group of 19 Members of Congress in urging President Trump to take immediate steps to repair America’s strained relationship with India and to reverse his administration’s “harmful” tariff policies.
In the letter, the Members warn that the President’s recent tariff hikes, which raised duties on Indian goods to as high as 50 percent, have undermined relations with India and hurt both American consumers and manufacturers.
“We write as Members of Congress representing districts with large, vibrant Indian-American communities that maintain strong familial, cultural, and economic ties to India. Recent actions by your administration have strained relations with the world’s largest democracy, creating negative consequences for both countries,” wrote the lawmakers. “We urge you to take immediate steps to reset and repair this critical partnership.”
The lawmakers emphasized that the U.S.-India trading relationship supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in both countries. They warned that escalating tariffs threaten to drive up costs and weaken American competitiveness by pushing India to build closer ties with China and Russia.
“The United States and India share democratic traditions that set us apart from our authoritarian competitors,” they went on to say, adding, “Our partnership demonstrates to the world that free and open societies can prosper through cooperation and mutual respect.”
The other signatories on the letter include Brad Sherman, Marc A. Veasey, Valerie P. Foushee, Sydney Kamlager Dove, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Eric Swalwell, Suhas Subramanyam, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., Jonathan L. Jackson, Frank Pallone, Jr., Danny K. Davis, Pramila Jayapal, Susan K. DelBene, Julie Johnson, Jimmy Panetta, Thomas R. Suozzi, Jan Schakowsky, Shri Thanedar, and Sam T. Liccardo.
The full letter can be found on the website of Rep. Ross at ross.house.gov or the pdf version is at Final-US-India-Partnership-Letter