CAPAC Welcomes New AAPI Members of Congress

NOVEMBER 13, 2026, 10:22 PM

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), held a press conference with CAPAC’s new Members-Elect Alicia Garrido Limtiaco (GU-At-Large), Dan Koh (MA-06), Dr. Richard Pan (CA-06), and Dr. Amish Shah (AZ-01). The Member-elects shared their priorities for the 120th Congress and their commitment to addressing the pressing needs of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) across the nation.

“1 in 8 AANHPI voters had voted for the very first time this election. These voters ranked inflation, jobs and the economy and health care costs as their top concerns. So let this be a lesson: AANHPI communities are becoming more civically engaged and cannot be overlooked,” said CAPAC Chair Grace Meng. “As we head into this next Congress, CAPAC is laser-focused on delivering affordability and accountability and ensuring AANHPIs can thrive.”

“The American people are counting on us to deliver on lowering costs that are crushing people and fixing an economy that isn't working for everybody. Dear and near to my heart is health care, of course, where premiums just keep going up and up in our state of Arizona and across the country and people are left without coverage,” said Member-elect Dr. Amish Shah. “And finally, in Arizona, we also have a water crisis. These problems need urgent attention. And our job as members of Congress is to respond to that call for help. As we say in the emergency department, stop the hemorrhage.”

“Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, helps eligible people with limited incomes and resources who are elderly, blind, or have disabilities. The program serves eligible residents of the neighboring Northern Mariana Islands, while Guam remains excluded. Extending SSI to Guam is one of my priorities,” said Delegate-elect Alicia Garrido Limtiaco. “Another is including Guam in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act or RECA’s ‘Downwinders’ provisions so that qualifying survivors of fallout from Pacific nuclear testing and their families have a path to compensation. I am committed to helping advance the priorities that we bring together from our own communities As Guam's Delegate, I will fight for Guam's priorities to ensure federal equity and fair treatment and work alongside other delegates to advance the interests and rights of communities in the territories, which include Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.”

“We have a president who is making life more expensive for everyone while enriching his family and allies,” said Member-elect Dan Koh. “People across this country, especially people of color, are finding it harder to live. So I'm fighting for them, and to leave this world better for my kids than when I found it. And I look forward to working with Chair Meng and the entire AAPI community to help deliver for our country.”

“We’ve got to address the cost-of-living crisis. People are struggling, including Asian American families. As a physician, we need to address the fact that people are losing access to health care. This includes addressing how high premiums costs, as well as ensuring we have interpreter services,” said Member-elect Dr. Richard Pan. “We need to fight for our community as well when it comes to the administration’s attacks on immigration. We are part of the fabric of this nation, and I’m very proud to be part of the Democratic majority that recognizes that.”

The new Asian American and Pacific Islander Members elected to the House of Representatives have also broken barriers with their respective wins: Alicia Garrido Limtiaco as the first CHamoru (Chamorro) woman to represent Guam in Congress; Dan Koh as the first Asian American and Arab American to represent Massachusetts in Congress; Dr. Richard Pan as the first Chinese American elected to represent California’s 6th Congressional District; Dr. Amish Shah as the first South Asian American to represent Arizona in Congress; and Pia Dandiya as the first South Asian American to represent Florida in Congress.

Next year, CAPAC will welcome 23 AAPI Members of Congress, marking the largest membership in the Caucus’ history and a historic milestone for AAPI representation.