Indian American MDs Bera, Shah among 9 Democratic doctors in next US House
Synopsis
For the first time in decades, Democrats will outnumber Republicans among physician-legislators in the US Congress — and two Indian Americans, Ami Bera and Amish Shah, are central to that shift. With 20 doctors across both chambers tying a record, and health care affordability topping the Democratic agenda for 2027, the medical bloc in Congress is set to punch above its numerical weight.
Key Takeaways
Ami Bera and Amish Shah , both Indian American physicians, will be among nine Democratic doctors in the next US House of Representatives .
The 120th Congress will have 20 physician members across both chambers, tying a historic record.
For the first time in decades, Democratic physicians (11) outnumber Republican physicians (9) in Congress.
Amish Shah , an emergency physician and former Arizona state legislator, will represent Arizona's 1st Congressional District .
The incoming physician class of six new members is the largest in more than a decade, according to the college's review.
House Democrats have flagged health care affordability , Medicare expansion, and reversing 2025 budget law cuts as top priorities for 2027 .
Indian American physicians Ami Bera and Amish Shah will be among nine Democratic doctors serving in the next US House of Representatives, according to a post-election review by the American College of Gastroenterology. Their inclusion signals a broader shift in the medical composition of Congress ahead of the 120th Congressional session, which convenes in January 2027.
Record Physician Presence in the 120th Congress
The American College of Gastroenterology's review identified 20 physicians across both chambers of the 120th Congress — tying a historic record. Of those, 11 are Democrats and nine are Republicans. Notably, this marks the first time in decades that Democratic physicians outnumber Republican ones in Congress; between 2011 and 2020, Republican physicians accounted for the overwhelming majority of doctors on Capitol Hill, according to the college's research.
The incoming class includes six new physician members across both chambers — described by the college as the largest such incoming group in more than a decade.
Who Are the Democratic House Doctors
The nine Democratic physicians in the House include three newly elected members: Amish Shah of Arizona, Richard Pan of California, and Adam Hamawy of New Jersey. They join returning members Ami Bera and Raul Ruiz of California, Kim Schrier of Washington, Herb Conaway of New Jersey, Maxine Dexter of Oregon, and Kelly Morrison of Minnesota.
Bera, an internist representing a Sacramento-area district, and Ruiz have both served in the House since 2013. Schrier joined in 2019, while Conaway, Dexter, and Morrison took office in 2025. Bera earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of California, Irvine, and previously served as Sacramento County's chief medical officer before entering Congress.
Amish Shah: A New Indian American Voice
Amish Shah, an emergency physician and former Arizona state legislator, will represent the state's 1st Congressional District. His election adds another Indian American presence to the Democratic physician bloc in the House — joining Bera, who has been a fixture of that group for over a decade.
Bera and Ruiz were also among the Democratic physicians who launched the Congressional Doctors Caucus in 2025, a platform through which medical professionals in Congress coordinate on health policy.
Senate Additions and Health Care Agenda
In the Senate, the college identified two incoming Democratic physicians: Annie Andrews of South Carolina, a paediatrician who will be the first member of that speciality to serve in the chamber, and Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, who holds a medical degree but did not complete a residency. Seven Republican physicians were listed in the incoming House, and two in the Senate.
Health care affordability is expected to be a central legislative priority for Democrats in the new session. A House Democratic working group has reportedly identified 2027 priorities that include reversing health care cuts embedded in the 2025 budget law and strengthening and expanding Medicare. Any legislation passed by the House would require Senate approval before going to President Donald Trump for his signature; Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.
The 120th Congress is set to convene in January 2027, following the November midterm elections.
Point of View
But the more consequential shift is partisan: Democrats now hold the medical majority for the first time in over a decade, precisely when health care costs have become a defining domestic issue. For Indian Americans, Bera's longevity and Shah's fresh mandate represent continuity and expansion of diaspora influence on US health policy — an influence that could matter if Medicare reform bills reach the floor. The real test, however, is legislative: a Democratic House majority on health care still runs into a Republican Senate and a Trump veto pen, meaning physician numbers in the chamber may shape the debate without determining its outcome.
NationPress
14 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Indian American physicians in the next US House of Representatives?
Ami Bera, a California internist and long-serving congressman, and Amish Shah, an Arizona emergency physician and congressman-elect, are the two Indian American physicians among nine Democratic doctors in the next US House. Both are part of the Democratic physician bloc that will serve in the 120th Congress beginning January 2027.
How many physicians will serve in the 120th US Congress?
The 120th Congress will have 20 physician members across both chambers, tying a historic record according to the American College of Gastroenterology. Of those, 11 are Democrats and nine are Republicans.
Why is the Democratic physician count in Congress significant?
This marks the first time in decades that Democratic physicians outnumber Republican ones in Congress. Between 2011 and 2020, Republican doctors held the overwhelming majority, making the current shift a notable political realignment within the medical community on Capitol Hill.
What health care priorities are Democrats planning for 2027?
A House Democratic working group has reportedly identified priorities for 2027 that include reversing health care cuts in the 2025 budget law and strengthening and expanding Medicare. Any legislation would require Senate approval and President Donald Trump's signature, or a two-thirds override vote in both chambers.
When does the 120th Congress begin?
The 120th Congress is scheduled to convene in January 2027, following the November 2026 midterm elections. It will include six new physician members, described by the American College of Gastroenterology as the largest incoming physician class in more than a decade.
