This article is a list of all Arab Americans and Middle Eastern Americans who have ever served in the United States Congress. This list includes persons of North African or Horn of Africa native ancestry who identify as Arabs, as well as Middle Eastern Americans who are not Arabs.
The first Arab American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives was George A. Kasem in 1959, and the first Arab-American U.S. senator was James Abourezk in 1973. In the 115th Congress, there were six U.S. representatives and no U.S. senators of Arab-American descent serving in Congress. On November 6, 2018, four additional Arab Americans, all of whom are female, were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives: Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Ilhan Omar, Donna Shalala, and Rashida Tlaib. Tlaib and Omar were also the first Muslim women in Congress. The U.S. House of Representatives currently has five Arab-American members.
The first Assyrian American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives was Adam Benjamin in 1977, and the first Persian-American U.S. representative was Stephanie Bice in 2021. The first Egyptian-American and Coptic-American U.S. senator was George Helmy in 2024. Up until January 3, 2025, Congress had an Assyrian-American U.S. representative, Anna Eshoo, who retired after serving 16 terms in the House.
Senate PictureSenatorArab or Middle Eastern ethnicityReligionPartyStateTerm startTerm endNotesLebaneseMaronite CatholicDemocraticSouth DakotaRetiredLebaneseMaronite CatholicDemocraticMaineRetiredLebaneseChristianRepublicanSouth DakotaLost reelectionLebaneseEastern OrthodoxRepublicanMichiganLost reelectionPalestinian,LebaneseEastern OrthodoxRepublicanNew HampshireLost reelectionEgyptian (Coptic)Oriental OrthodoxDemocraticNew JerseyAppointed following the resignation of Bob Menendez Resigned to allow for the appointment of Andy Kim
House of Representatives
PictureRepresentativeArab or Middle Eastern ethnicityReligionPartyStateTerm startTerm endNotesLebaneseChristianDemocraticCaliforniaLost reelectionLebaneseMaronite CatholicDemocraticTexasLost renominationLebaneseMaronite CatholicDemocraticSouth DakotaRetired to run successfully for U.S. Senator from South DakotaLebaneseChristianRepublicanSouth DakotaRetired to run successfully for U.S. Senator from South DakotaLebaneseMaronite CatholicDemocraticConnecticutRetired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senator from ConnecticutAssyrianChristianDemocraticIndianaDied in officeLebanese,SyrianEastern CatholicDemocraticOhioLost reelectionLebaneseMelkite CatholicDemocraticWest VirginiaLost reelectionLebaneseBaptistDemocraticMissouriRetiredAssyrianChaldean CatholicDemocraticCaliforniaRetired LebaneseRoman CatholicDemocraticMaineRetired to run successfully for Governor of MaineLebaneseRoman CatholicRepublicanIllinoisRetired to become U.S. Secretary of Transportation LebaneseRoman CatholicDemocraticLouisianaRetired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senator from LouisianaPalestinian,LebaneseEastern OrthodoxRepublicanNew HampshireRetired to run successfully for U.S. Senator from New HampshireLebaneseEastern OrthodoxRepublicanCaliforniaRetiredIncumbentLebaneseMaronite CatholicRepublicanLouisianaRetired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senator from LouisianaPalestinian,SyrianEastern OrthodoxRepublican MichiganRetiredIndependent Libertarian LebanesePresbyterianRepublicanNew YorkRetiredLebaneseBaptistRepublicanLouisianaRetiredLebaneseEpiscopalianDemocraticFloridaRetiredLebaneseRoman CatholicRepublicanLouisianaRetiredLebaneseRoman CatholicRepublicanIllinoisIncumbentGreek Cypriot,LebaneseEpiscopalianDemocraticFloridaResignedLebaneseRoman CatholicDemocraticNevadaRetiredLebaneseRoman CatholicDemocraticFloridaLost reelectionSomaliSunni MuslimDemocraticMinnesotaIncumbentLebaneseMaronite CatholicDemocraticFloridaLost reelectionPalestinianSunni MuslimDemocraticMichiganIncumbentPersianRoman CatholicRepublicanOklahomaIncumbentPersianAgnostic (born to Muslim parents)DemocraticArizonaIncumbentSyrianNon-denominational (born to a Muslim father and Druze mother)RepublicanArizonaIncumbent
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