Pramila Jayapal

Democrat Representative of Washington's 7th district

Representative
Washington, district 7
January 3, 2017 - January 3, 2019
Representative
Washington, district 7
January 3, 2019 - January 3, 2021
Representative
Washington, district 7
January 3, 2021 - January 3, 2023
Representative
Washington, district 7
January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2025

202-225-3106

@RepJayapal

jayapal.house.gov

Congresses Served

House Terms

September 21, 1965 (58 years old)

Birthday

Serves as the U.S. representative since 2017
First Indian-American woman in the U.S. House of Representatives
First Asian American to represent Washington at the federal level
Served in the Washington State Senate from 2015 to 2017
Was a civil rights activist and executive director of OneAmerica, a pro-immigrant advocacy group
Co-chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus from 2019 to 2021, then served as chair
Serves on the Judiciary Committee and Budget Committee
Born in Chennai, India, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1982 for college
Holds a BA from Georgetown University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University
Worked as a financial analyst and in sales and marketing before moving into public sector work
Founded Hate Free Zone (later OneAmerica) post-September 11 attacks
Participated in protests against the Trump administration's immigration policies
Advocated for a $15 minimum wage and police reform in Seattle
Endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primaries
Advocates for universal health care, environmental justice, and transparency in government
Supports decreasing U.S. military spending and immigration reform
Criticized for running a volatile and dysfunctional workplace by former staffers
Supports a ban on stock trading by members of Congress
Opposed the provision of cluster munitions to Ukraine by the Biden administration
Holds leadership positions including Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus and Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Lives in Seattle with her family; has a transgender child
Tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2021
Endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries