Pramila Jayapal is one of the most powerful leaders on Capitol Hill right now
CNN
Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal has risen quickly in the ranks of Washington to become a powerful progressive leader on Capitol Hill since first winning her House seat in 2016.
The congresswoman has in recent weeks been at the center of the action as her party works to finalize a sweeping package to expand the social safety net, a key priority for President Joe Biden.
Democrats control extremely narrow majorities in Congress, a dynamic that has empowered moderates as well as progressives and the two factions have become locked in a power struggle. Against that backdrop, the Washington state Democrat has become a prominent voice for the party's left flank and progressive policies.
The Trump administration has moved with lightning speed to roll out the president’s immigration agenda, effectively closing off the US southern border to asylum seekers, severely limiting who’s eligible to enter the United States and laying the groundwork to swiftly deport migrants already in the country.