International
oi-PTI
Indian-American Democratic lawmaker Ami Bera has won reelection to US House in California’s 3rd Congressional District, defeating Republican Robb Tucker. Bera, 61, won his eighth term in the US House of Representatives.
Physician-turned-politician Amerish Babulal ‘Ami’ Bera is the longest-serving Indian American in the US Congress and is considered a strong voice on healthcare and diplomacy.
Indian-American Democrat Ami Bera secured his eighth term in the US House by defeating Republican Robb Tucker in California’s 3rd Congressional District, making him the longest-serving Indian American in Congress focused on healthcare and diplomacy.
He was first elected to Congress in 2013 and currently serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Born in Los Angeles in 1965 to Gujarati immigrant parents, Bera went to public schools in California where he earned his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, Irvine.
With help from his family, scholarships, and working part-time, he put himself through medical school while taking advantage of federally funded student loans and graduating with less than USD 10,000 in debt, Bera’s congressional biography said. Bera worked as the chief medical officer for Sacramento County and later as a clinical professor at the UC Davis School of Medicine.
Bera was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 2013 and has been winning with increasing vote share in subsequent elections. Bera’s background in medicine and public health has strongly influenced his work in Congress, where he has championed affordable healthcare and global diplomacy, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
Bera serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, and on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He is also a member of New Democrat Coalition, a group of over 110 forward-thinking Democrats who are committed to pro-economic growth, pro-innovation, and fiscally responsible policies.
