Pramila Jayapal is 1st South Asian American woman to chair US House

IANS  |  Washington 

Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington DC, has become the first South Asian American woman to preside over the

Jayapal, who was first elected to the in 2016, tweeted she was "beyond proud" to preside over the House and serve in the most diverse in the nation's history.

The Indian American Congresswoman also shared a clip of Tuesday's session where she was seen presiding over the House as a House Democrats rotate for the ceremonial position of presiding over the chamber.

"Today, I became the first South Asian American woman to preside over the Beyond proud to serve in the most diverse in our nation's history and to hold the gavel today," Jayapal tweeted.

The 116th Congress broke records with women and lawmakers crossing racial and religious barriers, including an all time high for Asian American lawmakers.

A record number of 17 Asian Americans serve in Congress, with 14 in the House and three in the

--IANS

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First Published: Wed, June 05 2019. 13:42 IST