Ankit Jain was elected to serve as U.S. Senator for Washington, D.C. in 2024. Senator Jain advocates for the District of Columbia to become the 51st state in the Union, to protect D.C. Home Rule, and to advance the interests of D.C.’s 700,000 residents before the U.S. Senate. Sen. Jain also provides constituent services to D.C. residents before federal agencies. He is D.C.’s first District-wide Asian-American elected official. He is a resident of Ward 2 and grew up just outside of D.C. in Fairfax, Virginia.
Jain is a voting rights attorney who currently works as an independent legal contractor for Parsons Law, supporting organizations advocating for everyone to have the right to cast a meaningful vote. Prior to that, Jain worked as an independent legal contractor for FairVote and for four years as an attorney for the Sierra Club. He was one of the lead negotiators who secured a settlement that committed the federal government to spending more than $1 billion rectifying environmental harm caused by President Donald Trump’s border wall.
NPC Headliners: Senator Ankit Jain & DC Councilmember Christina Henderson
Registration to this event is essential in gaining access to the Club.
Sep 16 2025
WHEN:
Sep 16, 2025 at 10:00am
WHERE:
Fourth Estate Room
CONTACT INFO:
Cecily Scott Martin
MORE INFO:
NPC Newsmaker
This event is open only to NPC members & credentialed press
Senator Ankit Jain and Councilmember Christina Henderson will discuss congressional efforts to take control of D.C, deployment of National Guard members, and how these recent events connect to the fight for D.C. statehood at a National Press Club Headliners Newsmaker on Tuesday, September 16 at 10 a.m.
In August, President Trump declared a crime emergency in the District of Columbia and took control of the Metropolitan Police Department. Since then, thousands of National Guard members and federal officers have been part of the White House’s crackdown on crime. Mayor Bowser and other city officials have repeatedly pointed to the 30-year low in violent crime the city was experiencing before President Trump’s takeover.
With the 30-day “public safety emergency” coming to an end, more than a dozen pieces of legislation related to crime fighting in DC have been proposed. Washington, D.C. has limited autonomy through the Home Rule Act passed in 1973 but Congress reviews all legislation passed by the Council of the District of Columbia before it can become law and retains authority over the District’s budget.
This Headliners Newsmaker event is open to credentialed media and Club members. To submit questions in advance for the speaker, put WASHINGTON on the subject line and email to [email protected].
Christina Henderson is an At-Large member of the Council of the District of Columbia. She serves as the chair of the Council’s Committee on Health, and during her time on Council, Christina has worked to secure legislative and budgetary wins to improve maternal and reproductive health, increase the pay and benefits for workers, fight food insecurity, advance public safety and safe streets, support small businesses, and promote good governance. Prior to her election in 2020, Christina provided counsel to United States Senators, DC Councilmembers, and state and local education officials on an array of domestic policy issues that deeply impact families and children. Christina received her BA in Political Science from Furman University in Greenville, SC and her Master in Public Affairs degree from Princeton University. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a proud co-founder of the Black Women’s Congressional Alliance. Christina lives in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington D.C., with her husband and two daughters.