Nydia Velázquez

Nydia Margarita Velázquez Serrano is a Democratic politician serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 7th congressional district. Born on March 28, 1953, in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, she was the first in her family to graduate from college, earning a B.A. in political science from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras in 1974 and an M.A. from New York University in 1976. Before entering Congress, she taught Puerto Rican studies at Hunter College and served as a special assistant to U.S. Representative Edolphus Towns. In 1984, she became the first Latina appointed to the New York City Council, and in 1986, she served as the Director of the Department of Puerto Rican Community Affairs in the United States. First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, Velázquez made history as the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress. Throughout her tenure, she has achieved several legislative milestones, including becoming the first Hispanic woman to serve as Ranking Member and later Chair of a full House committee (the Small Business Committee). Her district, which includes parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan, is noted for its high level of diversity. In addition to her work on the Small Business Committee, she is a senior member of the Financial Services Committee and the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Representative Velázquez's policy positions are rooted in progressive and labor-oriented advocacy. She is a prominent supporter of healthcare reform, co-sponsoring Medicare-for-All legislation and consistently voting to defend the Affordable Care Act. On the economy, she advocates for a living wage, the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, and robust support for small businesses, particularly those owned by women and minorities. She has frequently criticized trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) for potentially lowering environmental and labor standards. In immigration policy, Velázquez is a leading voice for the protection of Dreamers and recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), authoring the American Promise Act to provide them with a pathway to citizenship. She opposes the inclusion of citizenship questions on the U.S. Census and efforts to require proof of citizenship for federal voter registration. Her foreign policy stance is characterized by anti-interventionism; she has introduced War Powers Resolutions to prevent U.S. military involvement in Cuba and was among the early House members to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Additionally, she is a staunch advocate for Puerto Rico, focusing on disaster recovery, debt relief, and the island's political status.