WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — It’s officially been a week since Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal was sworn in, becoming the first Indian American woman member in the chamber’s history.
Jayapal spoke recently about her first week as a member of the 115th Congress with The Stranger, and spoke candidly about what her and fellow Democrats are facing with Republicans holding the majority in the House.
“We’re not a minority party, we’re gonna be an opposition party,” she said in the report.
Friday morning, she displayed precisely the sort of opposition she was talking about — she made headlines after repeatedly objecting to the final Electoral College count, certifying Donald Trump’s defeat of Hillary Clinton, citing voter suppression efforts in Georgia. Her words were received by Vice President Joe Biden, who could only say “it’s over” politely atop his House perch to the laughs of Congress, including Speaker Paul Ryan.
Jayapal was just one of several House Democrats who raised concern about certifying the election results, none were successful in their efforts.
“When I stood up, I knew nothing I could say would undo the presidential election,” Jayapal said in a statement afterward. “But I felt it critical that the American people saw that we know how democracy has been undermined and votes have been suppressed.”
From The Stranger’s report:
Jayapal said her first week in Washington was a mix of the mundane—unpacking, figuring out which old photos leftover from Jim McDermott to keep in the office—and the emotional. Last Monday, she said, carried the weight of “walking up and realizing I was going to have an office in this building I’ve come to so many times on issues I care about.” She’d been figuring out how the House voting system works and finding her way around. She met Paul Ryan (“I told him I hope to work with him on immigration issues”) and planned to attend a bipartisan training for new members in Williamsburg.
