Nydia Velázquez
Nydia Velázquez | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chair of the House Small Business Committee | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Steve Chabot |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Don Manzullo |
| Succeeded by | Sam Graves |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen Solarz (Redistricting) |
| Constituency | 12th district (1993–2013) 7th district (2013–present) |
| Member of the New York City Council from the 27th district | |
| In office 1984–1985 | |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | Victor L. Robles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nydia Margarita Velázquez March 28, 1953 Yabucoa, Puerto Rico |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Paul Bader (m. 2000) |
| Education | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras (BA) New York University (MA) |
| Website | House website |
Nydia Margarita Velázquez Serrano (born March 28, 1953) is a politician serving in the United States House of Representatives since 1993. A Democrat from New York, Velázquez chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus until January 3, 2011. Her district, in New York City, was numbered the 12th district from 1993 to 2013 and has been numbered the 7th district since 2013. Velázquez is the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in the United States Congress.[1]
Early life, education and career[]
Velázquez was born in the town of Limones in the municipality of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico on March 28, 1953.[2] She grew up in Yabucoa[3] in a small house on the Río Limones.[1][4] Her father, Benito Velázquez Rodríguez, was a poor worker in the sugarcane fields who became a self-taught political activist and the founder of a local political party.[1] Political conversations at the dinner table focused on workers' rights. Her mother was Carmen Luisa Serrano Medina.[1] She was one of nine siblings.[1]
Velázquez attended public schools[2] and skipped three grades as a child.[1] She became the first in her family to graduate from high school.[2][4] She became a student at University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras at age 16.[1] In 1974,[2] she received a B.A. degree in political science, magna cum laude, and became a teacher.[1][4] In college, Velázquez supported Puerto Rican independence; by the time she ran for Congress in 1992, Velázquez no longer addressed the issue, saying that it must be left up to the Puerto Rican people.[1]
In 1976, Velázquez received an M.A. degree in political science from New York University.[2] She served as an instructor of political science at the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao from 1976 to 1981.[2] After returning to New York City, Velázquez was an adjunct professor of Puerto Rican studies at Hunter College from 1981 to 1983.[2][1]
Political career[]
In 1983, Velázquez was special assistant to Representative Edolphus Towns, a Democrat representing New York's 10th congressional district in Brooklyn.[2][1]
In 1984, Howard Golden (then the Brooklyn Borough President and chairman of the Brooklyn Democratic organization)[5] named Velázquez to fill a vacant seat on the New York City Council, making her the first Hispanic woman to serve on the council.[2][1] Velázquez ran for election to the council in 1986, but lost to a challenger.[1]
From May 1986 to July 1989, Velázquez was national director of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources' Migration Division Office.[2] In 1989 the governor of Puerto Rico named her the director of the Department of Puerto Rican Community Affairs in the United States.[2][1] In this role, according to a 1992 New York Times profile, "Velazquez solidified her reputation that night as a street-smart and politically savvy woman who understood the value of solidarity and loyalty to other politicians, community leaders and organized labor."[4]
Velázquez pioneered Atrévete Con Tu Voto, a program that aims to politically empower Latinos in the United States through voter registration and other projects. The Atrévete project spread from New York to Hartford, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Chicago, and Boston, helping Hispanic candidates secure electoral wins.[6]
Puerto Rico[]
Velázquez has been an advocate for human and civil rights of the Puerto Rican people. In the late 1990s and the 2000s, she was a leader in the Vieques movement, which sought to stop the United States military from using the inhabited island as a bomb testing ground. In May 2000, Velázquez was one of nearly 200 people arrested (including fellow Representative Luis Gutiérrez) for refusing to leave the natural habitat the US military wished to continue using as a bombing range.[7] Velázquez was ultimately successful: in May 2003, the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility on Vieques Island was closed, and in May 2004, the U.S. Navy's last remaining base on Puerto Rico, the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station was closed.[8][9]
U.S. House of Representatives[]
Elections[]
1992[]
Velázquez ran for Congress in the 1992 election, seeking a seat in the New York's newly drawn 12th congressional district, which was drawn as a majority-Hispanic district.[4] She won the Democratic primary, defeating nine-term incumbent Stephen J. Solarz and four Hispanic candidates.[3]
2010[]
Velázquez's 2010 campaign income was $759,359. She came out of this campaign about $7,736 in debt. Her top contributors included Goldman Sachs, the American Bankers Association, the National Roofing Contractors Association and the National Telephone Cooperative Association.[10]
2012[]
Velázquez, who was redistricted into the 7th congressional district, defeated her challengers to win the Democratic nomination.[11] Her top contributors included Goldman Sachs, the American Bankers Association and the Independent Community Bankers of America.[12]
Tenure[]
In 2003, Hispanic Business Magazine honored Velázquez with its first "Woman of the Year" award, citing her support of minority small-business owners. As a representative, she has focused on building a legislative agenda that lobbies to increase the opportunities for the nation's 47 million Hispanics, including the over 2.3 million residing in New York City.[13]
Throughout her career as a U.S. Representative, Velázquez has consistently and fully supported pro-choice and family-planning interests groups such as the NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Planned Parenthood. She has consistently shown support of the National Farmers' Union. She has shown no support of interest groups that oppose animal rights.[10]
In 2009, Velázquez voted against the amendment Prohibiting Federally Funded Abortion Services. She has supported the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations, the Unemployment Benefits Association, and the Unemployment Benefits Extension. Velázquez has also consistently voted for bills attempting to strengthen women's rights, such as the Employment Discrimination Law Amendments, Equal Pay Bill and the Inclusion of Consolidated Appropriations.[10]
On September 29, 2008, Velázquez voted for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. On November 19, 2008, she was elected by her peers in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) to lead the group in the 111th Congress.[2]
Before removing her name from consideration, she was considered a possible candidate to be appointed to the United States Senate by Governor David Paterson after Senator Hillary Clinton resigned to become Secretary of State.[14]
Among Velázquez's firsts are: the first Hispanic woman to serve on the New York City Council; the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in Congress; and the first woman Ranking Democratic Member of the House Small Business Committee. She became the first woman to chair the United States House Committee on Small Business in January 2007 as well as the first Hispanic woman to chair a House standing committee.[2]
Committee assignments[]
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit;
- Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity;
- Committee on Small Business (Chair)
- Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis[15]
Caucus memberships[]
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus[16]
- Congressional Progressive Caucus[17]
- Women's Issues Caucus
- Urban Caucus[18]
- House Baltic Caucus[19]
- Congressional Arts Caucus[20]
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus[21]
- Climate Solutions Caucus[22]
- Medicare for All Caucus
- Blue Collar Caucus
Velázquez was formerly a member of the Congressional Out of Iraq Caucus.[23]
Campaign contributions[]
Velazquez was criticized by her primary opponent Jeff Kurzon for her close ties to the banking industry and her reluctance to support reform and transparency measures. A majority of her campaign contributions have come from banks, including Goldman Sachs and the American Bankers Association.[12]
Personal life[]
Velázquez, also known as "la luchadora" ("the fighter"),[24] married Brooklyn-based printer Paul Bader in 2000.[25] It was her second marriage.[25] In November 2002, New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson controversially hired Bader as an administrative manager in the Bureau of Law and Adjudications, joining Joyce Miller, wife of Representative Jerry Nadler, and Chirlane McCray, wife of City Councilman Bill de Blasio.[26] In 2010, Velázquez and Bader were in the process of divorce.[27]
In October 1992, during her first campaign for the House, an unknown person or persons at Saint Clare's Hospital in Manhattan anonymously faxed to the press Velázquez's hospital records pertaining to a suicide attempt in 1991.[28] At a subsequent press conference, Velázquez acknowledged that she had attempted suicide that year while suffering from clinical depression.[28] She said that she underwent counseling and "emerged stronger and more committed to public service."[28] She expressed outrage at the leak of personal health records and asked the Manhattan District Attorney and the state Attorney General to investigate.[28] Velázquez sued the hospital in 1994, alleging that the hospital had failed to protect her privacy.[29] The lawsuit was settled in 1997.[30]
On March 30, 2020, Velázquez was diagnosed with a presumed case of COVID-19.[31]
See also[]
- List of Puerto Ricans
- History of women in Puerto Rico
- List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Maria Newman, From Puerto Rico to Congress, a Determined Path, New York Times (September 27, 1992).
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m Hispanic Americans in Congress
- ^ Jump up to: a b Deborah Sontag, Puerto Rican-Born Favorite Treated Like Outsider, New York Times (November 2, 1992).
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Mary B. W. Tabor, The 1992 Campaign: 12th District Woman in the News; Loyalty and Labor; Nydia M. Velazquez, New York Times (September 17, 1992).
- ^ Frank Lynn, Democrats in Brooklyn Face Hispanic Demand, New York Times (August 16, 1984).
- ^ Carol Hardy-Fanta, with Jaime Rodríguez, Latino Voter Registration Efforts in Massachusetts: Un Pasito Más" in Latino Politics in Massachusetts: Struggles, Strategies, and Prospects (eds: Carol Hardy-Fanta & Jeffrey N. Gerson: Routledge, 2002), pp. 253-54.
- ^ Morales, Ed (May 11, 2000). "The Battle of Vieques". The Nation.
- ^ New York Times: "After Closing of Navy Base, Hard Times in Puerto Rico" April 3, 2005
- ^ Los Angeles Times: "Navy Makes Plans Without Vieques - Use of bombing ranges in Florida and other U.S. mainland areas will increase after Puerto Rican island training ground is abandoned" January 12, 2003 Admiral Robert J. Natter, commander of the Atlantic Fleet, is on record as saying: "Without Vieques there is no way I need the Navy facilities at Roosevelt Roads — none. It's a drain on Defense Department and taxpayer dollars."
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Representative Nydia M. Velázquez". VoteSmart. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- ^ "Rangel, Long, Meng, Jeffries, Velazquez Declared Winners In Primaries". NY 1. June 26, 2012. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ^ Jump up to: a b NW, The Center for Responsive Politics 1300 L. St; Washington, Suite 200; fax857-7809, DC 20005 telelphone857-0044. "Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez - Campaign Finance Summary". OpenSecrets. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
- ^ "Velasquez House Bio". United States. U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- ^ Cadei, Emily (December 12, 2008). "New York Rep. Velázquez Out of Clinton Senate Seat Derby". CQPolitics.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2008. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
- ^ "Pelosi Names Select Members to Bipartisan House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis". Speaker Nancy Pelosi. April 29, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ^ "Members". Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- ^ "Caucus Members". Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
- ^ About Nydia Velázquez: Committees and Caucus Memberships
- Office of Nydia Velázquez (official website) (accessed April 10, 2016)
- ^ "Members". House Baltic Caucus. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
- ^ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ "Members". Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
- ^ "90 Current Climate Solutions Caucus Members". Citizen´s Climate Lobby. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
- ^ Issues: Alternatives to War, Office of Nydia Velázquez (official website) (accessed April 10, 2016).
- ^ New York Times: "The Biggest Rival for a Congresswoman From Brooklyn Isn’t Even on the Ballot" by Sarah Wheaton June 20, 2012
- ^ Jump up to: a b Bob Liff, Rep. Velazquez to Marry Printer, New York Daily News (November 17, 2000).
- ^ New York Daily News: "Nydia's Husband Gets Hired - He joins controller staff" by Celeste Katz November 22, 2002
- ^ Maite Junco, Dancing in the avenue: Q&A with Puerto Rican parade grand marshal Nydia Velázquez, New York Daily News (June 8, 2010).
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Maria Newman, Candidate Faces Issue Of Suicide, New York Times (October 10, 1992).
- ^ Rep. Velazquez Sues St. Clare's Hospital, New York Times (May 14, 1994). Retrieved November 13, 2016.
- ^ Online court records for Nydia Velazquez v. St. Clare's Hospital, Index No. 015736/1994, Kings County Supreme Court, accessible in the WebCivil Supreme section of New York's eCourts website.
- ^ "House chairwoman diagnosed with 'presumed' coronavirus infection". MSN. March 30, 2020.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nydia Velázquez. |
- Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez official U.S. House website
- Nydia Velázquez for Congress
- Nydia Velázquez at Curlie
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Appearances on C-SPAN
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- 1953 births
- 21st-century American politicians
- 21st-century American women politicians
- Puerto Rican people in New York (state) politics
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- Female members of the United States House of Representatives
- Hispanic and Latino American members of the United States Congress
- Hispanic and Latino American women in politics
- Hunter College faculty
- Living people
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
- New York City Council members
- New York (state) Democrats
- New York University alumni
- People from Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
- University of Puerto Rico alumni
- Women in New York (state) politics
- Women New York City Council members