Indian American First South Asian To Serve On US National Security Body

Indian American Democratic lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi was appointed as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) for the 116th Congress this Wednesday, making him the first South Asian to serve in the powerful body tasked with strengthening America’s national security, reports The Economic Times.

Krishnamoorthi who represents Illinois’s 8th congressional district in the House, was chosen along with Congresswoman Val Demings of Florida, Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, and Peter Welch of Vermont as the four new Democratic members of the committee. The HPSCI is tasked with overseeing the activities and budget of the 17 intelligence agencies of the U.S.

“It is very humbling to be chosen to serve on the Intelligence Committee in this Congress, and I am ready to join with my colleagues in preserving the safety and security of our nation,” Krishnamoorthi said according to a press release from his office. “The intelligence challenges and international threats facing our country today are vast, ranging from terrorism to cyberwarfare to investigating Russia’s previous and continuing attempts to sabotage our democracy.”

Born into a Tamil-speaking family in New Delhi, Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s family moved to Buffalo, New York when he was three months old. After earning his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Princeton University, he attended Harvard Law School, according to The Week.

The congressman is “honored that the Speaker and Caucus have placed their trust in me and the contributions I’ll make to the Committee.”

AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out ourTwitter feed andFacebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff or submitting a story.