Indian-American lawmakers get key Congressional panels

 All five Indian-American lawmakers, the highest in the history of the US Congress, have been nominated to influential Congressional panels. Congressman Ro Khanna representing Silicon Valley has been nominated to the powerful House Budget Committee, while Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, elected to the House of Representatives from Seattle, would serve on yet another powerful House Judiciary Committee.Raja Krishnamoorthi, representing Chicago's west and northwest suburbs, will serve on the House Education and  Workforce Committee, along with the powerful House Democratic Policy and Steering Committee. Three-term Congressman Ami Bera, who is the senior most among all Indian American lawmakers in the House of  Representatives, has been renominated to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Science, Space and Technology  Committee. Bera is also co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. Kamala Harris, the first Indian-American to have been elected to the US Senate, has been made member of four powerful Senate Committees. These are Committee on Budget, Select Committee on Intelligence, Committee on Environment and  Public Works and Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. "In the 115th Congress, I pledge to fight for our progressive values, and block the Trump administration's plans to deport vulnerable undocumented immigrants, create a Muslim registry and violate our civil rights and civil liberties," Jayapal said. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who will serve on the House Education and Workforce Committee along with the powerful House Democratic Policy and Steering Committee, said his committee assignments will focus on job creation and affordable higher education. The House Democratic Policy and Steering Committee administers the House Democratic Caucus. Krishnamoorthi was appointed to the committee by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. This is the highest number of Indian-Americans in the history of the US Congress.