WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): n a momentous occasion for Indian Americans, six of their leaders on Friday, January 3, 2025 were sworn-in as the members of the US House of Representatives, the largest so far for this minority ethnic community in the United States.
“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 said in a post on X.
Bera, the senior most of them, who has been sworn-in for the seventh consecutive term as a representative of the seventh Congressional District of California, also posted a picture of all the six Indian American Congressman from the floor of the House.
Suhash Subramanian, who represents the 10th Congressional District of Virginia is the newest Indian American to be a member of the House of Representatives.
“First day of work! Honored to be sworn into the #119th Congress, and excited to get to work to deliver results for VA10,” he said as he posted a picture of him along with his family and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“Ready to Serve,” said Congressman Shri Thanedar who represents the 13th Congressional District of Michigan as he posted a selfie of his from the House floor. All the six Indian American lawmakers are from the Democratic Party and voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in the election for House Speakership. Republican Mike Johnson was elected as the House Speaker.
Congressman Ro Khanna represents the 17th Congressional District of California and Raja Krishnamoorthi represents the eighth Congressional District of Illinois. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, representing the seventh Congressional District of Washington state, is the first ever Indian American woman to be elected to the House of Representatives.
All the three – Khanna, Krishnamoorthi and Jayapal – have been sworn-in for a fifth consecutive term, during which they have emerged as powerful lawmakers in their own way.
Krishnamoorthi is a Ranking Member of the powerful China Committee and also a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Jayapal is leader of the highly powerful progressive group of lawmakers. Khanna is not only a member of several powerful House committees but also is seen as a potential presidential candidate in the years to some.
All the six Indian Americans constitute an informal Samosa Caucus, a term coined by Krishnamoorthi. When sworn in for the first term in 2012, Dr Bera had then wished to have 10 Indian Americans in the House of Representatives.
Several Indian Americans aspiring to be elected to the House lost elections either during the primaries or in the November 5 general elections. At least three of them were women: Sushila Jaipal, Bhavani Patel and Krystal Kaul.
Dalip Singh Saund was the first Indian-American to be elected to the House of Representatives in 1957. Also, the first Sikh, he was elected for three consecutive terms. He was from the Democratic Party.
It took nearly five decades for a second Indian-American to enter the US House of Representatives. Bobby Jindal represented the First Congressional District of Louisiana from 2005 to 2008. He later went on to become the two-term Governor of Louisiana, making him the first Indian American to be elected as the governor of a US State. Jindal is the only Indian American to be elected to the House on a Republican ticket.
(Source: PTI)
Tag: Dr Ami Bera
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Six Indian Americans sworn-in as members of US House of Representatives
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Over 36 Indian Americans running for state legislatures, local bodies
With close to 900,000 Indian Americans residents, California boasts the largest Indian American population in the entire country
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Over three dozen Indian Americans are running for local bodies and state legislatures across the country reflecting the growing interest among this small ethnic community to be part of political mainstream. “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu,” Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi comments at various Indian American gatherings motivating and encouraging community members to run for elections at all levels. Probably the largest number of Indian Americans running for local offices are in the state of California, which sends two members to the House of Representatives – Ro Khanna and Dr Ami Bera – in addition to Vice President Kamala Harris whose mother was from India.
Those include Adlah Chisti who is running for County Supervisor for District 11, Aliya Chisti for City College Board San Francisco, Darshana Patel for State Assembly, Nicole Fernandez for San Mateo City Council, Nithya Raman for Los Angeles City Council, Richa Awasthi for Foster City Council and Sukhdeep Kaur for Emeryville City Council.Tara Sreekrishnan is seeking to enter California’s State Assembly from District 26 in Silicon Valley. With close to 900,000 Indian Americans residents, California boasts the largest Indian American population in the entire country.
Dr Ajay Raman is running for Oakland County Commissioner for District 14; while Anil Kumar and Ranjeev Puri are running for the Michigan State House.
Indian Americans are a crucial part of Arizona’s growth and diversity. Priya Sundareshan is running for the State Senate in Arizona and Ravi Shah is running for School Board. In Pennsylvania, Anand Patek, Anna Thomas, and Arvind Venkat are running for State House, while Nikil Saval is seeking to enter the State Senate.
In Illinois, Anusha Thotakura is running for school board and Nabeel Syed for State House.
If elected Ashwin Ramaswamy would be the youngest ever elected to the Georgia State Senate. Of late he has been subject to racial and hate attacks by his opponents. In Ohio, Chantel Raghu is running for County Commissioner and Pavan Parikh for County Clerk of Courts, while in Virginia Danny Avula is running for Mayor of Richmond.
In New York, Jeremy Cooney and Manita Sanghvi are running for State Senate while Zohran Mamdani is seeking to enter the State Assembly. Indian Americans running for local offices in Texas are Ashika Ganguly for City Council, Karthik Soora (State Senate), Nabil Shike (County Constable), Ramesh Premkumar (City Council), Ravi Sandill (Judge), Salman Bhojani (State House), Shekhar Sinha (State House), Sherine Thomas (Judge), Suleman Lalani (State House) and Sumbel Zeb as County Appraisals Court. Manka Dhingra is running for Attorney General of Washington State while Mona Das is running for Commissioner of Public Lands.
(Source: PTI) -
Indian American Ro Khanna along with Mike Waltz elected co-chairs of House India caucus
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Indian American Democratic lawmaker Ro Khanna and his Republican House colleague Mike Waltz have been chosen as co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans in the 118th Congress. India Caucus is the largest country-specific bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in the House of Representatives that is committed to strengthening the relationship between the two largest democratic countries of the world. Khanna, 46, is the second Indian American to be elected as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans since it was established in 1993. Congressman Ami Bera served as its co-chair during the 115th Congress (2015-2016).
At that time, he was the only Indian American serving in the Congress. Now the number has increased to five: DR Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pramila Jayapal, and Shri Thanedar.
“I am honored to chair the India caucus and will look forward to involving the national Indian American diaspora in helping strengthen the US India relationship,” Khanna told media. The Indian American represents the 17th Congressional District of California. Last November he was elected for the fourth consecutive term. The media reported Congressman Andy Barr and Marc Veasey will serve as vice co-chairs. Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32), who formerly served as chair, will serve as chair emeritus, a media release said.
In the new Congress, the members will continue working to strengthen partnerships between policy makers and the Indian American diaspora communities and reduce India’s reliance on Russian defense systems.
“A strong relationship with India is critical for our economy and national security. It is an honor to serve alongside my colleague Rep. Waltz as co-chair of the India Caucus,” Khanna said.
“Serving in this role is especially meaningful to me as one of the first Indian Americans to lead the caucus as well as the only representative of an Asian American majority district in the continental United States,” he said.
Congressman Waltz said that India is the world’s largest democracy and an important strategic partner for the United States. “That’s why I’m honored to serve as the Co-Chair of the House India Caucus this Congress to ensure we continue this partnership, strengthen political, economic, and security ties between our two countries, and protect democracies in Asia and worldwide,” he said.
Congressman Barr said strengthening bilateral relations via trade and security as well as cooperation through the Quad, presents many opportunities to advance the two countries’ common interests.
In an interview to media, Khanna said the Indian American diaspora can play an important role in helping strengthen the US-India partnership. “I think this is a historic moment for our community. I think we’re really emerging and coming into our own as a strong voice,” said the Congressman.
Khanna told media that he is going to try to make the Caucus not just about India-US, but also the Indian American community and highlighting the contributions of that community.
“I think being Indian America and being part of the community, knowing so many of the community leaders, knowing the passions and interests of young people, I’ll be able to do that,” he said.
“Khanna says taking on this greater role in the India Caucus feels like the culmination of generations of work in the public sphere. His grandfather Amarnath Vidyalankar spent his life fighting for India’s independence from British rule, even spending a few years in jail for the cause. Vidyalankar became a member of India’s first Parliament after independence in 1947,” media reported. Congressman Sherman, who now takes the role of Chair Emeritus, said that he has long advocated for a strong US-India relationship and has worked to highlight the enormous contributions Indian Americans have made in this country. “There is no one more fitting that I could pass the torch of chairing this important Caucus to than Congressman Ro Khanna, along with Congressman Mike Waltz as Co-Chair – both stalwart advocates for the US-India relationship,” he said. “Moreover, I’m encouraged by our Vice Co-Chairs, Congressman Andy Barr and Marc Veasey, who will bring to the Caucus a stellar record of impassioned advocacy for the US-India partnership. I will continue on as Chair Emeritus and look forward to the work ahead of building upon this vital partnership and securing future prosperity between the United States, the world’s oldest continuous democracy, and India, the world’s largest democracy,” Sherman said. -
US Congressman Bera welcomes launch of Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Indian-American Congressman Dr Ami Bera has welcomed the launch of the ‘Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative’ by the State Department. The program, championed by the late Representative John Lewis, brings together young leaders from India and the United States to advance social justice and civil rights by exploring the life and legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“As the longest serving Indian-American member of the United States Congress, I am very excited that the US State Department has officially launched the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative, which was championed by the late great Congressman John Lewis,” Bera said on Friday. Bera is the longest serving Indian-American Congressman in the US House of Representatives. “Like Lewis, Gandhi and Dr. King were towering figures who committed their lives to the advancement of civil rights and social justice. By exploring the legacies of Gandhi and Dr. King, this exchange program will empower young leaders in India and the United States to advance these values forward to future generations. The Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative will also further strengthen the bonds between the people of India and the United States,” he said. Bera, who serves as Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation, has long advocated for the exchange program, including co-sponsoring and voting for the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act introduced by the late Congressman John Lewis.
(Source: PTI)
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Indian American lawmakers & top Biden admin members celebrate ‘Diwali’ at US Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Led by Indian American lawmakers, top members serving in the Biden administration and a select group of community members from across the country gathered to celebrate the festival of lights, ‘Diwali’, at the US Congress, the temple of democracy.
Reflecting on the emergence of this small but influential community in the American socio-political spectrum, lawmakers praised the contribution of Indian Americans in the development of the US and highlighted the significance of Diwali in a post-COVID-19 world.
”We, for the last almost two years, have been in the midst of a pandemic that has turned our lives upside down. Many of us, myself included, have sustained losses of family and friends. I know many of you have as well, whether it’s family here, family back in India or in the diaspora or around the world. We have suffered heavy losses,” US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy said at the event.
”But one of the things that concerns me most about the last few years is another type of pandemic, the invisible pandemic that we are in the midst of. That’s a pandemic of polarization where it feels increasingly people have turned against each other, where they’ve demonized one another, called each other evil and treated each other as so. That’s a particular kind of darkness,” he said. The Capitol Hill Diwali celebration was organized by Indiaspora in association with several community organizations. Remembering the teachings of his mother, Dr Murthy said Diwali is supposed to be a day about light conquering darkness.
”She would always say Vivek, people you encounter in America will come from different faiths and traditions. But remember that the light of God exists within each one of them, always, regardless of where they’re from,” he said.
”When I think about Diwali, I think about it in that context. Can we remember the light that exists within ourselves and one another? Can we not allow it? Can we not allow that light to be expunged because we happen to be on the other side of the political spectrum as somebody else or hold different views from them. This is as much a challenge here, as it is back in India and in many countries around the world,” Dr Murthy said.
Indian American Congressmen Dr Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal addressed the gathering and greeted the community on the occasion. ”I’m very proud to say that I’m the first South Asian American woman ever elected to the United States House of Representatives. Hopefully I’m not going to be the last and there are going to be many, many more of us to come,” Jayapal said. The Congresswoman also said that the last three months have been rough for her and her family. Congresswoman Judy Chu said that President Joe Biden has appointed a record number of Indian Americans in his administration.
”President Biden is ushering in a new era of Asian Americans, especially Indian American representation. For instance, he named Dr Vivek Murthy to serve on his cabinet as a Surgeon General. Just last week, he made the historic move to name Neera Tanden as a White House staff secretary, one of the highest positions in the White House,” she said.
”And of course, just one year ago, we shattered one of the highest glass ceilings of all when Kamala Harris, the daughter of an Indian immigrant, was sworn in as the first woman Asian and Black vice president in history,” she said.
Popular African American singer Mary Milben, who especially flew in from California to attend the Diwali celebrations, mesmerized the select audience with her rendition of ”Om Jai Jagdish Hare” which went viral last year. Milben announced that she would be travelling to India next January. ”India has truly become my family and my friends. So, it’s a joy to be here in the nation’s capital to celebrate this wonderful, spiritual and beautiful holiday that so many speakers have already talked about. It is a beautiful moment for cultures and faiths to come together and celebrate during this moment: Light over darkness the beauty of this beautiful holiday,” Milben said.