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Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
Incumbent
Jenniffer González
since January 3, 2017
United States House of Representatives
Seat Puerto Rico
Term lengthFour years, renewable [1]
FormationJanuary 2, 1900
First holder Federico Degetau
Salary US$174,000
Website gonzalez-colon.house.gov
Puerto Rico's at-large congressional district
Resident Commissioner
  Jenniffer Gonzalez [a]
RSan Juan
Area3,515 sq mi (9,100 km2)
Population (2019)3,193,694
Median household
income
14,412
Ethnicity
Occupation

The resident commissioner of Puerto Rico ( Spanish: Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico) is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives elected by the voters of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico every four years, [1] the only member of the House of Representatives who serves a four-year term. Because the Commissioner represents the entire territory of Puerto Rico irrespective of its population, and is not subject to congressional apportionment like those House members representing the 50 states, Puerto Rico's at-large congressional district is the largest congressional district by population in all of the United States.

Commissioners function in every respect as a member of Congress, including sponsoring legislation and serving on congressional committees, where they can vote on legislation, [2] but they cannot vote on the final disposition of legislation on the House floor. [3] They receive a salary of $174,000 per year [4] and are identified as Member of Congress. [2]

The current commissioner is Jenniffer González-Colón of the New Progressive Party (PNP), the first woman to hold the post. [1] She is also affiliated with the Republican Party (R) at the national level.

Other U.S. territories have a similar representative position called a delegate.

History

The United States Congress had seated non-voting "delegates" from various territories since 1794 as the country expanded across North America; these territories were all eventually admitted as states. The position of delegate was a legislative position with a two-year term, just like a member of Congress. [5]

The United States acquired several overseas possessions as a result of the Spanish–American War. While the House of Representatives voted in 1900 for Puerto Rico to select a delegate, Congress instead devised a new form of territorial representative in the resident commissioner. United States Senator John Coit Spooner argued that granting a territory a delegate implied that it was on the path to statehood, which he asserted was not guaranteed for the new possessions acquired in the war, such as Puerto Rico and the Philippines. [5] In fact, more than a century later, neither has become a state. (Puerto Rico remains a U.S. territory, while The Philippines became an independent republic in 1946.)

The original resident commissioner positions served a two-year term, [6] though it was later extended to four years starting in 1920. [7] [5] [8] The position also had executive responsibility in addition to legislative ones. The term had been used as to parts of the British Empire (see resident commissioner), but in an almost opposite sense; sent or recognized as the Crown's representative to manage a territory. In the American sense, resident commissioner always refers to a representative of a territory to the national government. [5]

This representation has evolved over time. At first, the resident commissioner could not even be present on the floor of the House of Representatives; floor privileges were granted in 1902. [5] In 1904, the officeholder gained the right to speak during debate and serve on the Committee on Insular Affairs, which had responsibility for the territories gained in the Spanish-American War. [5]

In 1933, Resident Commissioner Santiago Iglesias was appointed to additional committees, and each of his successors has served on other committees also. [5] But only in 1970 did the resident commissioner gain the right to vote in committees, gain seniority, or hold leadership positions. [5]

The present-day resident commissioner, like the delegates from other territories and the District of Columbia, have almost all of the rights of other House members, including being able to sponsor bills and offer amendments and motions. [5] Territorial representatives remain unable to vote on matters before the full House.

Summary of commissioners

List of resident commissioners pre-Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Resident Commissioner Party U.S.
Affiliation
Years Cong–
ress
Electoral history
District established March 4, 1901

Federico Degetau y González
( San Juan)
Republican Republican March 4, 1901 –
March 3, 1905

3 years, 364 days

57th
58th
Elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1902.
Retired.

Tulio Larrínaga
( San Juan)
Unionist [ data missing] March 4, 1905 –
March 3, 1911

5 years, 364 days

59th
60th
61st
Elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Retired.

Luis Muñoz Rivera
( San Juan)
Unionist [ data missing] March 4, 1911 –
November 15, 1916

5 years, 256 days

62nd
63rd
64th
Elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Died.
Vacant November 16, 1916 –
August 6, 1917
64th
65th

Félix L. M. Córdova Dávila
( San Juan)
Unionist [ data missing] August 7, 1917 –
April 11, 1932

14 years, 238 days

65th
66th
67th
68th
69th
70th
71st
72nd
Elected to finish Rivera's term.
Re-elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1928.
Resigned to become Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico.
Vacant April 12, 1932 –
April 14, 1932
72nd

José Lorenzo Pesquera
( Bayamon)
Independent [ data missing] April 15, 1932 –
March 3, 1933

322 days

72nd Elected to finish Dávila's term.
Retired.

Santiago Iglesias Pantín
( San Juan)
Socialist [ data missing] March 4, 1933 –
December 5, 1939

6 years, 276 days

73rd
74th
75th
76th
Elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1936.
Died.
Vacant December 5, 1939 –
December 26, 1939
76th

Bolívar Pagán
( San Juan)
Republican Union [ data missing] December 26, 1939 –
January 3, 1945

5 years, 1 day

76th
77th
78th
Appointed to finish Pantín's term.
Elected in 1940.
Retired.

Jesús T. Piñero Jiménez
( Canovanas)
Popular Democratic Democratic January 3, 1945 –
September 2, 1946

1 year, 242 days

79th Elected in 1944.
Resigned to become Governor of Puerto Rico.

Resident commissioners under the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

   Popular Democratic Party (6)
   New Progressive Party (6)

US Party Affiliation

   Democratic Party (10)
   Republican Party (2)

No. Resident Commissioner Party Affiliation
within U.S. politics
Years Cong–
ress
Electoral history
1
Antonio Fernós-Isern
( Santurce)
Popular Democratic Democratic September 11, 1946 –
January 3, 1965

18 years, 23 days

79th
80th
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
86th
87th
88th
Appointed to finish Piñero's term.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1960.
Retired.
2
Santiago Polanco Abreu
( Isabela)
Popular Democratic Democratic January 3, 1965 –
January 3, 1969

4 years

89th
90th
Elected in 1964.
Lost re-election.
3
Jorge Luis Córdova
( San Juan)
New Progressive Democratic January 3, 1969 –
January 3, 1973

4 years

91st
92nd
Elected in 1968.
Lost re-election.
4
Jaime Benítez
( Cayey)
Popular Democratic Democratic January 3, 1973 –
January 3, 1977

4 years

93rd
94th
Elected in 1972.
Lost re-election.
5
Baltasar Corrada del Río
( Rio Piedras)
New Progressive Democratic January 3, 1977 –
January 3, 1985

8 years

95th
96th
97th
98th
Elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1980.
Retired to run for mayor of San Juan.
6
Jaime Fuster
( Condado)
Popular Democratic Democratic January 3, 1985 –
March 3, 1992

7 years, 60 days

99th
100th
101st
102nd
Elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1988.
Resigned to become Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico.
7
Antonio Colorado
( San Juan)
Popular Democratic Democratic March 4, 1992 –
January 3, 1993

305 days

102nd Appointed to finish Fuster's term.
Lost election to full term.
8
Carlos Romero Barceló
( San Juan)
New Progressive Democratic January 3, 1993 –
January 3, 2001

8 years

103rd
104th
105th
106th
Elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1996.
Lost re-election.
9
Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
( Hato Rey)
Popular Democratic Democratic January 3, 2001 –
January 3, 2005

4 years

107th
108th
Elected in 2000.
Retired to run for Governor of Puerto Rico.
10
Luis Fortuño
( San Juan)
New Progressive Republican January 3, 2005 –
January 3, 2009

4 years

109th
110th
Elected in 2004.
Retired to run for Governor of Puerto Rico.
11
Pedro Pierluisi
( San Juan)
New Progressive Democratic January 3, 2009 –
January 3, 2017

8 years

111th
112th
113th
114th
Elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2012.
Retired to run for Governor of Puerto Rico.
12
Jenniffer González
( San Juan)
New Progressive Republican January 3, 2017 –
present
115th
116th
117th
118th
Elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2020.
Retiring to run for Governor of Puerto Rico.

Recent elections

2000

2000 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner election
Party Candidate Votes %
Popular Democratic Aníbal Acevedo Vilá 983,488 49.34
New Progressive Carlos Romero Barceló (incumbent) 905,690 45.43
Independence Manuel Rodríguez Orellana 95,067 4.77
Write-in 9,238 0.46
Total votes 1,993,483 100.00
Popular Democratic gain from New Progressive
Democratic hold

2004

2004 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner election
Party Candidate Votes %
New Progressive Luis Fortuño 956,828 48.83
Popular Democratic Roberto Prats Palerm 945,691 48.26
Independence Edwin Irizarry Mora 56,589 2.89
Write-in 445 0.02
Total votes 1,959,553 100.00
New Progressive gain from Popular Democratic
Republican gain from Democratic

2008

2008 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner election
Party Candidate Votes %
New Progressive Pedro Pierluisi 996,997 52.70
Popular Democratic Alfredo Salazar 799,746 42.27
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Carlos Velazquez 45,154 2.39
Independence Jessica Martinez 37,129 1.96
Write-in 12,773 0.68
Total votes 1,891,799 100.00
New Progressive hold
Democratic gain from Republican

2012

2012 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner election
Party Candidate Votes %
New Progressive Pedro Pierluisi (incumbent) 905,066 48.76
Popular Democratic Rafael Cox Alomar 881,181 47.47
Independence Juan Manuel Mercado 38,941 2.10
Working People's Félix Córdova Iturregu 13,120 0.71
Sovereign Union Movement María de Lourdes Guzmán 11,764 0.63
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Sadiasept Guillont 5,647 0.30
Write-in 626 0.03
Total votes 1,856,345 100.00
New Progressive hold
Democratic hold

2016

2016 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner election
Party Candidate Votes %
New Progressive Jenniffer González 718,591 48.80
Popular Democratic Héctor Ferrer 695,073 47.21
Independence Hugo Rodriguez 39,704 2.70
Working People's Mariana Nogales Molinelli 19,033 1.29
Total votes 1,472,401 100.00
New Progressive hold
Republican gain from Democratic

2020

2020 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner election
Party Candidate Votes %
New Progressive Jenniffer González (incumbent) 490,273 40.83
Popular Democratic Aníbal Acevedo Vilá 384,619 32.03
Citizens' Victory Zayira Jordán Conde 154,751 12.89
Project Dignity Ada Norah Henriquez 94,059 7.83
Independence Luis Piñero González II 76,398 6.36
Write-in 788 0.07
Total votes 1,200,888 100.00
New Progressive hold
Republican hold

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Gonzalez caucuses with the Republican Party.

References

  1. ^ a b c Wines, Michael (July 26, 2019). "She's Puerto Rico's Only Link to Washington. She Could Be Its Future Governor". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b James R. Fuster, Member of Congress from Puerto Rico (August 29, 1990). "Our 51st State?". Newsweek.
  3. ^ "Commish. Jenniffer González-Colón, Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico's At-Large District, Republican". govtrack.us. January 3, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  4. ^ Brudnick, Ida A. "Salaries of Members of Congress : Recent actions and Historical Tables". Senate.gov. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rundquist, Paul S. "Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico". congressionalresearch.com. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  6. ^ Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States)  56–191, §39 (31  Stat.  86)
  7. ^ Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States)  64–368, §36 (39  Stat.  963)
  8. ^ "Delegates to the U.S. Congress: History and Current Status".

External links