Congresswoman Pramila Jayapa
Legislative Policy Conference
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapa
A former Washington State Senator and a lifelong organizer for immigrant, civil, and human
rights, Representative Pramila Jayapal was recently re-elected to Congress for a third term with
more votes than any Member of the House of Representatives. In 2016, she became the first
South Asian American woman ever elected to the House. She came to the United States alone
at the age of 16, and went on to start the largest immigrant rights organization in Washington
state before becoming one of only 14 immigrants serving in Congress today. As the Chair of the
Congressional Progressive Caucus, Representative Jayapal is the lead sponsor of the Medicare
for All Act, the College for All Act, the Housing is a Human Right Act, the Ultra-Millionaire Tax
Act, and the Roadmap to Freedom immigration resolution. She currently serves on the
Judiciary, Budget, and Education and Labor committees. Congresswoman Jayapal lives in West
Seattle with her husband Steve.