4 Indian-American lawmakers on key US House panels

Washington: Four prominent Indian-American lawmakers -- Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Raja Krishnamoorthi -- have been appointed members of three key House panels, reflecting the growing influence of the community in US 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. 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 US 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 Jayapal.

Ami Bera, 57, has been appointed as a member of a powerful US House committee handling intelligence-related matters. The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is charged with providing oversight of the country's intelligence activities, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), National Security Agency (NSA), as well as military intelligence programmes. "I am honoured to be appointed by Leader (Hakeem) Jeffries to serve on the House Intelligence Committee, which plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and national security of the United States," Bera said. A six-time Congressman, Bera represents the sixth Congressional District of California, also serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. Raja Krishnamoorthi has been made Ranking Member of a newly created House committee on China that will look into various aspects of Chinese behaviour, its threat being posed to the US and the world. 

US House of Representatives Minority Leader Jeffries on Wednesday announced the appointment of Krishnamoorthi as Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Another Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has also been made a member of this new committee, formed in the 118th Congress by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for the specific purpose of investigating and developing policy to address the United States' economic, technological and security competition with the Chinese Communist Party.