4 Indian-American lawmakers appointed members of key U.S. House committees
The Hindu
The appointments reflect the growing influence of the Indian-American community in U.S. politics
Four prominent Indian-American lawmakers — Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ro Khanna — have been appointed members of three key House panels, reflecting the growing influence of the community in U.S. politics.
Congresswoman Jayapal has been named Ranking Member of the powerful House Judiciary Committee’s panel on Immigration, making her the first immigrant to serve in a leadership role for the subcommittee.
Ms. Jayapal, 57, representing the 7th Congressional District of Washington State succeeds Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren to serve on the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, a media release said.
“As the first South Asian woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and one of only two dozen naturalised citizens in Congress, I am honoured and humbled to serve as the Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement,” said Ms. Jayapal.
“I came to this country when I was 16, alone, and with nothing in my pockets. After 17 years on an alphabet soup of visas to become a US citizen, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to live the American Dream, a dream that is out of reach for too many immigrants today,” she said.
“It is extremely meaningful to me that I will now be in this position to better move the needle and re-center our broken immigration system around dignity, humanity, and justice. As I step into this role, I would also like to thank Representative Lofgren for her years of dedicated leadership on the Subcommittee, and look forward to continuing to work with her,” Ms. Jayapal said.
Mr. Bera, 57, has been appointed as a member of a powerful U.S. House committee handling intelligence-related matters.