Suhas Subramanyam expands ‘Samosa Caucus’

Subramanyam took oath on the Bhagavad Gita as the sixth Indian American member of the US House watched by his immigrant mother

Indian American entrepreneur Suhas Subramanyam was sworn into the 119th Congress on the Capitol Hill in Washington DC on Friday to become the sixth member of the ‘Samosa Caucus,’ as Indian American lawmakers style themselves.

He joins five other Indian American Democrats — Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Raja Krishnamoorthy and Shri Thanedar — who were re-elected to the US House of Representatives in November.

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Subramanyam represents Virginia’s 10th Congressional district in the House, succeeding retiring Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton. Virginia’s 10th district includes Loudoun, Rappahannock, Fauquier, and portions of Prince William and Fairfax Counties.

Subramanyam made history as the first Indian American and South Asian member of Congress in not only Virginia’s history, but on the entire East Coast.

In search of a better life, Subramanyam’s mother immigrated to America through Dulles Airport located in District 10. On Friday, she watched her son take the oath of office on the Bhagavad Gita, according to a press release from his office.

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“Today my parents got to see me sworn in as the first Indian American and South Asian Congressman from Virginia. If you had told my mother when she landed in Dulles Airport from India that her son would go on to represent Virginia in the United States Congress, she might have not believed you, but my story is the kind of promise that America holds. I am honored to be the first, but not the last, as I represent Virginia’s 10th in Congress,” Subramanyam stated.

A former policy advisor to President Barack Obama, he has served in the Virginia General Assembly since first getting elected in 2019. In Richmond, the capital of Virginia, Subramanyam founded the ‘Commonwealth Caucus’ – a bipartisan group of legislators focused on finding common ground. He passed landmark legislation to lower toll costs for commuters, issue refunds to overcharged consumers, combat the rise in gun violence, and ensure all students have access to a top-notch education.

Subramanyam served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician in Loudon. He lives in Ashburn, Virginia, with his wife, Miranda, and their two daughters, Maya, 4, and Nina, 3.

Ami Bera, the longest-serving Indian American member of Congress, welcomed Subramanyam’s swearing-in and celebrated the growing representation of Indian Americans in US politics.

“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,” Bera wrote on X. “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!”