Washington, Dec 8 (NationPress) Congressman Ami Bera, one of the longest-serving Indian American representatives in the US House and a founding member of the Congressional Doctors Caucus, endorsed Dr. Tina Shah on Monday in her campaign for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. This endorsement provides her campaign a significant boost in a battleground district keenly observed by South Asian voters.

“I am honored to support Dr. Tina Shah for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th District,” Bera stated in a campaign announcement. “As a fellow healthcare professional, I recognize her commitment to understanding the healthcare crisis and her ability to offer practical solutions to reduce costs and improve access to quality healthcare for every New Jerseyan and American. I eagerly anticipate her joining the Congressional Doctors Caucus.

Dr. Shah, an intensive care physician and first-time congressional candidate, expressed gratitude for the endorsement. “It is a privilege to have Congressman Bera’s backing,” she remarked.

“As a physician and a national advocate for healthcare policy, Congressman Bera comprehends the critical issues facing families as Trump, RFK Jr., and Congressional Republicans threaten our healthcare systems. I am excited about the prospect of collaborating with him in the Congressional Doctors Caucus to further my mission of enhancing access to affordable, high-quality healthcare.”

Shah’s campaign is centered on reducing healthcare expenses, regulating insurance, and widening access—issues influenced by her experiences as an ICU physician and federal policy leader. She contends that current systems prioritize profits and politics over patient care, citing her personal encounters with escalating costs, insurance denials, and political stalemates damaging both patients and healthcare professionals.

Her candidacy is directly linked to national discussions surrounding healthcare access, insurance coverage, abortion rights, and the ramifications of political actions on healthcare policies. As her campaign website articulates, “As a doctor, I will not remain silent while Donald Trump and RFK Jr. dismantle our healthcare and jeopardize essential medical research, while career politicians like Tom Kean Jr. fail to address rising healthcare costs and vote to cut Medicaid and ban crucial procedures like abortion.” Her objective is “to restore science and reason to Washington—ensuring that healthcare serves everyone.”

Dr. Shah is board-certified in internal, pulmonary, and critical care medicine, and her message draws heavily from her ICU experiences that led her to federal policy.

She has served under three different White House administrations. As a Senior Advisor to the US Surgeon General, she “led the nation’s inaugural federal strategy to combat clinician burnout, ensuring adequate numbers of nurses and doctors are available when needed most.”

At the Department of Veterans Affairs, she was the first National Director of Clinician Wellbeing, where she worked to “enhance the efficiency of electronic medical record usage by doctors, leading to an increase in primary care access for veterans.”

In New Jersey, Shah spearheaded initiatives to prevent insurance companies from denying critical care. She also served as Chief Clinical Officer at Abridge, a healthcare AI firm, and currently provides guidance on AI in healthcare delivery.

A daughter of immigrants, Shah states she seeks office “to restore confidence in government, broaden access to care, and counteract harmful ideologies through science, empathy, and rationality.”

Bera is one of five Indian Americans in the US House and a prominent voice on healthcare policy within the Democratic caucus. His endorsement is anticipated to garner attention from the Indian American community in New Jersey, which has evolved into one of the state's most politically engaged diaspora groups.

New Jersey’s 7th District, a historically competitive seat, remains in contention. Healthcare, abortion rights, and insurance regulation are likely to remain key topics as the 2026 election cycle approaches.