Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a member of the U.S. Congress representing Washington’s 7th district since 2017, posted a series of statements on July 18, 2025, addressing recent developments in media and federal spending.
In her first post, Jayapal questioned the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show. She wrote on July 18: “Stephen Colbert’s show was canceled three days after he called out Paramount, CBS’s parent company, for folding to Trump with a $16M settlement for a lawsuit that even they called ‘without merit.’ People deserve to know if this is a politically motivated attack on free speech.”
Later that morning, she criticized House Republicans for passing what she described as significant funding cuts. On July 18 she stated: “House Republicans just passed Trump’s rescissions package — billions of dollars in cuts to public broadcasting that serves rural America and global aid that saves lives. I voted HELL NO. My full statement: https://t.co/htzH3vZ7Pj”
In another post from the same day, Jayapal commented on increased defense spending and its oversight. She wrote: “In the middle of the night, House Republicans just passed a bill that will dump billions into the Pentagon, the only agency that has NEVER passed an audit. If we want to actually cut spending—this is a good spot to start. Not by kicking 17M Americans off their health care.”
Jayapal has represented Washington’s 7th District in Congress since succeeding Jim McDermott in 2017 and previously served in the Washington State Senate from 2014 to 2016. Born in Chennai in 1965 and now residing in Seattle, Jayapal holds degrees from Georgetown University and Northwestern University.
