RELEASE: Rep. Ro Khanna Begins Congressional Term Representing 17th District of California
Washington, D.C. -- Congressman Ro Khanna will take the oath of office as the elected representative for the 17th District of California when the 115th session of Congress convenes this afternoon. As a representative of Silicon Valley, Rep. Khanna will work to bring tech jobs to his district and across America, support reforms to curb the influence of special interests in politics, and ensure that all people have the resources to achieve economic equality and educational success. Rep. Khanna is among just six members of Congress who have not taken PAC contributions or money from lobbyists this past cycle and pledge to refuse such contributions while in office.
"Even as the nation continues to heal from the political divisiveness of the past year, I am proud to begin 2017 by representing Silicon Valley in Congress. The district is home to some of the most well-known technological innovators of the modern era, and I look forward to bringing the start-up ethos embraced here to the halls of Congress," said Rep. Khanna. "We need bold ideas and sound policies that provide opportunities to those our changing economy and technological revolution has left behind and invest in policies that support working families to better prepare all children for the future. The corruption of big money in politics and lobbying by powerful special interests have soiled our democracy, and I will work to enact reforms to make government truly work for the people. As a son of immigrants and grandson to a freedom fighter during India's independence movement, the protection of civil rights -- no matter a person's gender, race, or sexual orientation -- will always be side-by-side with my commitment of economic fairness for all."
Rep. Khanna will be sworn in on a bicentennial edition of the United States Constitution on loan from the Rare Books division of the Library of Congress. He selected this special edition of the Constitution to recognize his birth city of Philadelphia where our Constitution was signed, the American bicentennial that occurred in the year he was born, and the values he is swearing to uphold. Rep. Khanna will be joined at the swearing in by his wife Ritu Ahuja Khanna, parents Vijay and Jyotsna Khanna, his brother, brother-in-law, and sisters-in-law, his mother- and father-in-law, and nieces and nephews.
About the Office
Rep. Khanna's Washington office is located at 513 Cannon House Office Building, and his district office is at 900 Lafayette Street, Suite 206, in Santa Clara, CA. Visit his website at khanna.house.gov. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter @RepRoKhanna.
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Press office: 202-226-9699