Reps. Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal and Raja Krishnamoothi take oath to serve in 116th Congress.
Four Indian Americans were sworn in as members of the 116th Congress on Thursday.
All the newly-elected and re-elected members of the US Congress were sworn-in during a ceremony held on the US House of Representatives and Senate floors at the US Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
The day also witnessed Democrat Nancy Pelosi taking over the gavel of the House speaker for the second time in 12 years. She is the only woman to serve as the speaker.
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For the Indian American community, it was again a proud moment, with all the four incumbents — all Democrats — of the 114th Congress returning to serve another term.
The four members are Reps Ami Bera and Ro Khanna of California, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois.
Krishnamoorthi, who was re-elected from Illinois’s 8th congressional district last November, arrived with his whole family, including his wife, children and parents, for the event.
A visibly emotional and proud, Krishnamoorthi took the oath on Gita and later had his wife Priya presenting him with his new member pin.
He tweeted a family picture, soon after the ceremony.
Had the whole family join me for the ride to the Capitol this morning and then Priya presented me with my new Member Pin. #116thCongress pic.twitter.com/f0GmFRL30o
— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) January 3, 2019
Khanna, who represents the Silicon Valley, was sworn in on a bicentennial edition of the Constitution. Jayapal, the first Indian American woman in the House, was accompanied by her mother.
The 116th Congress is the most diverse ever with a record number of women serving in it. Among the newly sworn in members were the first two female Muslim members of the US Congress.