Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D) has been appointed to the House Committees on Science, Space, and Technology and Oversight and Accountability. Leveraging his experience as a former Obama administration technology advisor and entrepreneur, Subramanyam aims to promote innovation, support economic development, and champion research and STEM education in Virginia’s 10th District, which includes western Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
Subramanyam will advocate for federal workers in the Oversight Committee, representing the 34,000 in his district. He plans to hold the former Trump administration accountable, ensure efficient government services, and resist efforts to politicize federal service or relocate jobs out of Virginia. A former Virginia General Assembly legislator, Subramanyam is known for bipartisan achievements and community service, including his work as a firefighter and EMT. He resides in Ashburn, Virginia, with his family.
Full press release:
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam was appointed to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
“As a former technology advisor in the Obama White House, and as an entrepreneur who worked with tech startups, I understand first-hand the transformative power of technology. I am proud that the 10th district is home to a wide array of science and technology companies. I look forward to championing innovation and driving the growth of these industries on the committee, while supporting economic development and research that will bring lasting benefits to our district and beyond.”
Congressman Subramanyam served as an Advisor to President Obama on emerging technology and created a small business advising leading technology companies in the private sector. He brings a practical perspective as well as an understanding of policy-making to this role. Virginia’s 10th Congressional District houses hundreds of technology companies and the technology campuses of both George Washington University and George Mason.
The district has broad jurisdiction over several of the nation’s leading companies that produce chips and satellites. Congressman Subramanyam is looking forward to utilizing his expertise and experience to enact policies that will support public and private-sector innovation, cultivate our next generation of STEM students and workers, and keep the United States in line with the latest cutting-edge research and development to benefit all Virginians of the 10th district.
About the Committee: The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has jurisdiction over several federal agencies; those including: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The committee also oversees federal research and development opportunities. Through oversight and legislative policy, the committee strives to advance U.S. science, technology, and space exploration.
Committee on Oversight and Accountability
“As a member of the Oversight Committee, I will hold Trump and his administration accountable when they attempt to undermine the federal workforce at the expense of American taxpayers. Given the history of the Trump administration, I will make sure there is meaningful oversight of federal agencies, and I will fight him at every attempt to threaten our federal workers and contractors, or any bids to move jobs out of Virginia.”
Virginia’s 10th Congressional District is home to 34,000 federal workers, who make up 8% of the district’s workforce. Congressman Subramanyam’s appointment to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability will enable him to advocate for the thousands of federal workers in his district and push back against MAGA attempts to politicize federal service. Congressman Subramanyam will work to modernize government services to increase efficiency and reduce costs to taxpayers.
About the Committee: The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is the main investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. The committee serves to ensure the efficiency of the federal government, as well as operating as a safeguard within the federal government.
A former Policy Advisor to President Barack Obama, Congressman Subramanyam served in the Virginia General Assembly since first getting elected in 2019. In Richmond, Subramanyam founded the bipartisan “Commonwealth Caucus” – a bipartisan group of legislators focused on finding common ground. He passed landmark legislation to lower toll costs for commuters, issue refunds to overcharged consumers, combat the rise in gun violence, and ensure all students have access to the best educational opportunities. He will continue to deliver real, bipartisan, results in Congress. Subramanyam served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT in Loudoun. He lives in Ashburn, Virginia, with his wife, Miranda, and their two daughters, Maya (4) and Nina (3).
On January 7, the U.S. House of Representatives convened for the first session of the 119th Congress and passed H.R. 29, the “Riley Laken Act,” with bipartisan support.
The bill is named in memory of Riley Laken, a 22-year-old nursing student tragically murdered in February 2024 while jogging on the University of Georgia campus. Her assailant, José Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. illegally, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Riley’s death ignited widespread media attention and a national debate over immigration policies, focusing on the detention and monitoring of individuals entering the country illegally.
The Riley Laken Act mandates the detention of certain undocumented immigrants arrested for or charged with crimes such as burglary and theft. It also empowers states to sue the federal government for perceived failures in immigration enforcement.
The bill passed the House with a 264-159 vote. Eleven members abstained, while 48 Democrats joined Republicans in support of the measure.
Northern Virginia’s Representatives Divided
Representative Suhas Subramanyam (D-10, Loudoun, Prince William, Manassas) was among the Democrats who voted in favor of the bill, joining five Republican representatives from Virginia.
Meanwhile, Eugene Vindman (D-7th, Woodbridge, Stafford, Fredericksburg) opposed the legislation. In a statement, Vindman expressed frustration over the lack of collaboration, stating:
“The Riley Laken Act puts additional burdens on our local police without their input or additional funding, overwhelms our corrections facilities, and leaves so many of the most pressing challenges on immigration unresolved.”
Vindman, a University of Georgia alumnus with a family member currently attending the school, emphasized his commitment to bipartisan solutions:
“I voted no today to uphold the right to due process and keep our law enforcement focused on the most pressing issues in our communities, but remain frustrated by the lack of real solutions to our immigration problems. We need to find bipartisan solutions that prioritize securing our borders while providing pathways to legal immigration.”
Vindman narrowly won his seat in the November 2024 election against Republican challenger Derrick Anderson.
Historical Context: Bipartisan Immigration Legislation
The Riley Laken Act echoes the controversy surrounding H.R. 7909, the “Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act,” passed in 2024. That legislation, which garnered support from 51 Democrats, including Vindman’s predecessor Abigail Spanberger, made sexual offenses or conspiracies to commit them grounds for deportation. It also expanded the list of domestic violence crimes that can lead to deportation, including physical or sexual abuse and coercive behavior within close relationships.
After passing the House in September 2024, H.R. 7909 was sent to the Senate and referred to the Judiciary Committee for review.
Both bills underscore the continued challenge of addressing immigration policy, balancing enforcement, and securing bipartisan consensus on pathways to reform.
From The Center Square:
The districts most likely to shift Virginia’s current balance of power in the House of Representatives from Democratic to Republican would be District 7 or 10, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project – but that may prove a tough feat for District 10’s Republican Mike Clancy.
Clancy is a lawyer, tech executive and “national media commentator,” according to his campaign website. He was the clear winner of the district’s Republican primary, capturing nearly 65% of the vote. But he has never been elected to state-level office before. At the same time, his competitor is Sen. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun, elected to the state Senate after two terms in its House of Delegates.
Results of informal “should Joe Biden stay in the race” survey: Of the fifty-three respondents to our emails last week, 51% think Joe should stay in the race while 36% think he should withdraw. Another 13% either had a policy-related comment or offered nuanced comments.
Their call matches Suhas Subramanyam, the Democrat running for Virignia’s 10th Congressional District, which includes western Prince William, Manassas, and Manassas Park. Earlier this week, Subramanyam told Potomac Local he supports the president’s re-election bid for a second term, despite calls from some in his party to withdraw his candidacy due to cognitive issues.
Fairfax County, a stronghold for Democrats, is the most populated jurisdiction and often decides how the entire state will vote — so goes Fairfax, so goes Virginia.
Meanwhile, Democrat Eugene Vindman continues to be hounded about whether or not he supports Biden. Potomac Local has twice asked him to ignore questions on the matter. He’s running for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, which includes eastern Prince William County, Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, and Fredericksburg.
A video posted by the National Republican Congressional Committee of Vindman showed him walking into a fundraiser, where, again, he dodged the question.
Extreme Democrat @YVindman still REFUSES to answer the question.
IS BIDEN FIT FOR OFFICE?#VA07 deserves to know. pic.twitter.com/ewY4Ep5vNl
— NRCC (@NRCC) July 10, 2024
