New Delhi: In a momentous occasion for the Indian American community, six of its leaders were sworn in as members of the US House of Representatives on Friday, the highest number ever for the minority group.
Congressman Dr Ami Bera, senior most among them, celebrated the achievement on social media. “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!” Bera, representing California’s 7th Congressional District, shared a photo featuring all six Indian American Congress members from the House floor.
New faces and continued leadership
“First day of work! Honored to be sworn into the #119th Congress, and excited to get to work to deliver results for VA10,” Suhash Subramanian posted on X alongside a picture with his family and House speaker Mike Johnson. He represents Virginia’s 10th Congressional District.
Congressman Shri Thanedar of Michigan’s 13th District added, “Ready to Serve”, accompanied by a selfie from the House floor. All six Indian American lawmakers are Democrats and supported House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in the recent Speakership vote. Despite their support, Republican Mike Johnson was elected as Speaker with a narrow majority.
Among the newly sworn-in members are seasoned representatives:
- Ro Khanna of California’s 17th District
- Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois’s 8th District
- Pramila Jayapal of Washington’s 7th District, who made history as the first Indian American woman elected to the House.
Khanna, Krishnamoorthi, and Jayapal are entering their fifth consecutive terms. Krishnamoorthi serves as the Ranking Member of the China Committee and is a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Jayapal leads a progressive caucus, while Khanna is viewed as a potential presidential candidate, holding memberships in several key House committees.
A legacy of representation
Dalip Singh Saund was the first Indian American elected to the House in 1957, serving three consecutive terms as a Democrat from California. It took nearly five decades for a second Indian American, Bobby Jindal, to join the House in 2005, representing Louisiana’s 1st District. Jindal later became Louisiana’s first Indian American governor and remains the only Indian American elected to the House on a Republican ticket.
Speaker Johnson’s re-election
Republican Congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana’s 4th District was re-elected as Speaker of the House by a slim margin of three votes, securing 218 votes against Democrat Hakeem Jeffries’ 215. The result gave the Republicans a narrow majority with 219 seats compared to the Democrats’ 215.
President-elect Donald Trump congratulated Johnson, saying, “Congratulations to Speaker Mike Johnson for receiving an unprecedented Vote of Confidence in Congress. Mike will be a great Speaker, and our country will be the beneficiary.”
In his acceptance speech, Johnson pledged bipartisanship and urged Congress to move beyond partisan divides. “The American people need us as their elected representatives in this season to put down our partisan swords and pick up bipartisan plowshares. Working together, we have the potential to be one of the most consequential Congresses in the history of this great nation,” Johnson said.
