In a first, 6 Indian Americans take oath as members of US’ House of Representatives

The caucus now includes six representatives, expanding from its previous membership of five: Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Jeremy Cooney, and Shri Thanedar.

All six Indian-American lawmakers are Democrats and voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in the House Speakership election.

Ami Bera

Ami Bera, the most senior of the group, was sworn in for the seventh consecutive term as the representative of California’s 7th Congressional District.

“When I was first sworn in twelve years ago, I was the sole Indian-American Member of Congress and only the third in US history. Now, our coalition is six-strong! I am excited to welcome even more Indian-Americans to the halls of Congress in the years to come!” Congressman Dr Ami Bera wrote on X, posting a picture of all six Indian-Americans from the House floor.

Suhash Subramaniam

Suhash Subramaniam is the newest Indian-American to join the US House of Representatives, representing Virginia’s 10th Congressional District.

“First day of work! Honoured to be sworn into the #119th Congress, and excited to get to work to deliver results for VA10,” Subramaniam said in a post on X, alongside a picture with his family and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Pramila Jayapal

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, representing Washington state’s 7th Congressional District, is the first-ever Indian-American woman elected to the House of Representatives. She is a prominent leader within a powerful progressive group of lawmakers.

Shri Thanedar

Congressman Shri Thanedar, representing Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, posted a selfie from the House floor on X, saying, “Ready to serve.”

Ro Khanna

Ro Khanna, representing California’s 17th Congressional District, is recognised for his influential roles on various House committees.

Raja Krishnamoorthi

Raja Krishnamoorthi, representing Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, serves as the Ranking Member of the powerful China Committee and is a member of the House Intelligence Committee.

Notably, Khanna, Krishnamoorthi, and Jayapal have all taken the oath for a fifth consecutive term.

Several Indian Americans aspiring to be elected to the House faced defeat either in the primaries or in the general elections on November 5. Among them were at least three women: Sushila Jaipal, Bhavani Patel, and Krystal Kaul.

Dalip Singh Saund was the first Indian American to be elected to the US House of Representatives in 1957. He was also the first Sikh elected to the position and served for three consecutive terms as a member of the Democratic Party. It took nearly five decades before a second Indian American entered the US House.

Bobby Jindal represented Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District from 2005 to 2008. He later became the two-term Governor of Louisiana, making history as the first Indian American governor of a US state. Jindal remains the only Indian American to have been elected to the House on a Republican ticket.

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