Pramila Jayapal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pramila Jayapal
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2019
|
|
| Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2025 Serving with Mark Pocan (2019–2021)
|
|
| Preceded by | Raúl Grijalva |
| Succeeded by | Greg Casar |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 7th district |
|
| Assumed office January 3, 2017 |
|
| Preceded by | Jim McDermott |
| Member of the Washington Senate from the 37th district |
|
| In office January 12, 2015 – December 11, 2016 |
|
| Preceded by | Adam Kline |
| Succeeded by | Rebecca Saldaña |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 21, 1965 Chennai, Madras (now Tamil Nadu, India) |
| Citizenship | Indian (1965–2000) American (2000–present) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Steve Williamson |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Maya Jayapal (mother) Susheela Jayapal (sister) |
| Education | Georgetown University (BA) Northwestern University (MBA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
Pramila Jayapal (born September 21, 1965) is an American politician. She has been a U.S. representative for Washington since 2017. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She represents most of Seattle and parts of King County.
Before joining Congress, Pramila Jayapal worked as a civil rights activist. She led an immigrant advocacy group called OneAmerica. She started this group after the September 11 attacks. Jayapal also led the Congressional Progressive Caucus from 2021 to 2025. She works on important committees in the House, like the Judiciary Committee and the Budget Committee. She is the first Indian-American woman to serve in the U.S. House. She is also the first Asian American to represent Washington at the federal level.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Pramila Jayapal was born in Chennai, India. Her mother, Maya Jayapal, was a writer. Her father, Jayapal Menon, worked in marketing. She grew up mostly in Indonesia and Singapore. She moved to the U.S. in 1982 when she was 16 to go to college. She earned a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University. Later, she got her MBA from Northwestern University.
After college, Jayapal worked as a financial analyst. She worked on development projects in different places. Later, she moved into public service in 1991.
Early Career and Advocacy
Helping Immigrant Groups
Jayapal started a group called Hate Free Zone after the 2001 September 11 attacks. This group helped immigrant communities. It helped new American citizens register to vote. It also worked on issues related to immigration. The group successfully stopped the deportation of many Somalis. In 2008, the group changed its name to OneAmerica. Jayapal left her leadership role in 2012. In 2013, the White House honored her as a "Champion of Change."
Working in Washington State Government
.jpg)
Jayapal helped create Seattle's $15 minimum wage. She also helped choose the city's first female police chief. In 2014, she ran for the Washington State Senate and won.
In the State Senate, Jayapal worked on important laws. She helped pass a bill to create a training program for women and people of color. She also supported a bill to test and track police department evidence kits.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a Representative
In 2016, Jayapal decided to run for Congress. She ran for the seat in Washington's 7th congressional district. She won the election with 56% of the votes. This made her the first Indian-American woman in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Key Actions and Views
Jayapal is known for being a strong voice for progressive ideas. She has spoken out on many issues. She met with people in her district instead of attending the presidential inauguration in 2017. She has been called a "leader of the resistance" by some.
In 2024, Jayapal helped raise money for Kamala Harris's election campaign. She also spoke positively about Vice President Harris.
Foreign Policy Views
Jayapal has voted on several foreign policy issues. She voted against a House resolution that criticized a U.N. Security Council resolution about Israeli settlements. She also voted against a resolution condemning the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel.
In 2018, Jayapal and other representatives spoke out against Holocaust denial in Ukraine and Poland. They criticized laws that could make it illegal to accuse Poles of being involved in the Holocaust. They also criticized laws that honored pro-Nazi leaders in Ukraine.
In 2019, Jayapal was one of the lawmakers who asked the President to end U.S. military involvement in the conflict in Yemen. They said the conflict was causing a lot of suffering for civilians.
In December 2019, Jayapal introduced a bill asking India to lift restrictions on communications in Kashmir. This bill aimed to help people communicate freely.
.jpg)
In 2022, a letter signed by Jayapal and other Democrats asked President Biden to talk with Vladimir Putin to end the conflict in Ukraine. The letter was later withdrawn. In 2023, Jayapal opposed the decision to send certain types of weapons to Ukraine.
Budget and Spending
Jayapal supports reducing how much the U.S. spends on its military. She tried to lower the amount in a defense spending bill, but her effort did not pass.
.jpg)
She voted against a bill about the national budget in 2023. She has also criticized past budget plans.
Healthcare for Everyone
Jayapal supports universal health care. This means she believes everyone should have access to healthcare. She has introduced bills to create a healthcare system called "Medicare for All." This system would provide health insurance for all U.S. residents.
Government Openness
Jayapal and another representative introduced bills to make the government more open. These bills aimed to prevent conflicts of interest. She also supports banning members of Congress from trading stocks.
Other Progressive Ideas
Jayapal works on environmental justice. She has introduced bills to help communities affected by climate change. She also supports making public colleges and universities free for most families. She wants to reduce student debt. Jayapal supports immigration reform and the Equal Rights Amendment.
Leadership Roles
- Senior Whip, Democratic Caucus of the United States House of Representatives
- Vice Ranking Member, United States House Committee on the Budget
- Chair, Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Co-chair and co-founder, United for Climate and Environmental Justice Task Force
- Chair, Immigration Task Force, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC)
- Co-chair, Women's Working Group on Immigration Reform
Committee Work
- Committee on the Judiciary
- Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship
- Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law
- Committee on Education and Labor
- Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development
- Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
- Committee on the Budget
Groups She Belongs To
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
- Medicare for All Caucus
- Congressional Freethought Caucus
- Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus (vice chair)
- Congressional Progressive Caucus (chair)
Personal Life
Pramila Jayapal lives in Seattle with her husband, Steven R. Williamson. She has two children and a stepson. She became a U.S. citizen in 2000. She wrote a book called Pilgrimage: One Woman's Return to a Changing India.
Her older sister, Susheela Jayapal, is also involved in public service. Susheela has served on the Multnomah County Commission since 2019.
Pramila Jayapal tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2021. She spoke about the importance of wearing masks.
Images for kids
-
Pramila Jayapal's signature
