Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois, was the only one of the six Indian-American members of the US House of Representatives to vote in favour of legislation imposing tougher sanctions on Russia. The other five- Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera, Shri Thanedar and Suhas Subramanyam, voted against it based on India Today's report.
The vote took place on September 16, when the House approved the Senate-amended legislation by 262-159. Krishnamoorthi was among 58 House Democrats who voted for the bill, while 152 Democrats voted against it. On the Republican side, 203 lawmakers voted in favour and seven against, Reuters reported.
The legislation, formally called the "Lindsay O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026", or H.R. 5334, was signed into law by US President Donald Trump on September 18, the White House said.
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Who is Raja Krishnamoorthi?
Raja Krishnamoorthi represents Illinois' 8th Congressional District and has served in the House since 2016. He is a Democrat and has served on several House panels, including the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Krishnamoorthi's vote stood out among Indian-American lawmakers because all six Indian-American members of the House are Democrats, yet he was the only one to support H.R. 5334, India Today reported.
Ahead of the vote, Krishnamoorthi met members of the Illinois Ukraine Action, The Economic Times reported. After the meeting, he said on X that the people of Ukraine continued to fight for their "freedom and sovereignty" and that the US should continue supporting them.
Krishnamoorthi has also encouraged members of the Indian-American community to seek public office and participate in politics.
How does it affect India?
India remains one of the major buyers of Russian crude oil following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russian oil has accounted for more than 40 per cent of India's overall oil imports at various points, Reuters reported.
New Delhi has defended its purchases on energy security grounds, arguing that it needs reliable and affordable supplies for its population and economy.
The new US law could put additional pressure on India's trade relationship with Washington because the US is a major market for Indian exports. However, the law gives the president the authority to impose the tariffs; it does not automatically impose a 100 per cent tariff on India, Reuters and KPMG reported.
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