One of Virginia’s newest members of the U.S. House, Suhas Subramanyam, is headed straight to a leadership position in the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus once he formally settles into his job on Capitol Hill in early January.
The caucus has five leadership spots, including “freshman representative,” which is what Subramanyam was elected to this week.
“I think it’ll be a great experience, and I plan on joining other efforts and other caucuses that will help empower my constituents,” Subramanyam said.
According to its website, the caucus “is comprised of members of Congress of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander descent and members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community.”
“It’s a group that has grown. It now has its largest membership in history,” Subramanyam said. “Being a voice in leadership there, I think, will serve my district well.”
Subramanyam (D) is a former state senator who defeated Republican Mike Clancy last month in the race for the House seat representing Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, which includes Loudoun County, Manassas and parts of Prince William and Fairfax counties.
He takes over for Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton, who did not seek another term due to health issues.
In winning the election, Subramanyam made history as Virginia’s first Indian American congressman.
“I’ve learned that being the first like that comes with responsibility to do a really good job and be a good steward of the title of ‘being the first,'” Subramanyam said. “I certainly want to make sure I don’t let people down who believed in me.”
He said he feels a special connection to others in Virginia who have a shared heritage.
“They’ll even reach out to me instead of their local legislator because there’s a sense of trust,” Subramanyam said. “I answer, and I just take that responsibility seriously.”
Advocating for federal employees will be one of his priorities, according to Subramanyam, as the incoming Trump administration has made promises to slash spending and reshape the federal government.
Broad cuts to the federal workforce would have a significant impact on the D.C. region.
“I want to make sure that we protect those jobs because they’re vital to our economy, especially in Northern Virginia,” Subramanyam said. “Northern Virginia is one of the economic engines of our Commonwealth, so that’s certainly something I care about.”