Jenniffer González-Colón

Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico

Twitter: @RepJenniffer; Instagram: Jenniffergonzalezcolon; Facebook: @RepJenniffer

Jenniffer González-Colón was elected November 8th, 2016 as Puerto Rico's sole Representative to the U.S. Congress, known as Resident Commissioner. The first woman to hold the office, Ms. Gonzalez-Colón received the most votes (over 718,000) of any elected official on the Island in that election.

A lifelong Republican activist for Puerto Rican statehood, González-Colón entered elective office in a 2002 special Election, becoming the youngest member at the time of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives. She quickly rose through the ranks achieving the posts of Speaker of the House for four years and Minority Leader for another four.

Her priorities as Puerto Rico’s voice in Congress include spearheading the economic recovery of Puerto Rico, securing equal treatment for Puerto Rico's three and a half million U.S. Citizens in federal laws, regulations, services, and funding, and ensuring that Congress responds decisively to the overwhelming mandate of Puerto Rico’s voters for admission as the 51st state of the Union in both plebiscites by 61.3% in November 2012 and 97% in July 2017.

She has made her presence felt on Capitol Hill, being elected by her colleagues to the influential Republican Conference House Policy Committee and selected to the Speaker’s Intergovernmental Affairs Task Force. González-Colón is a member of the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Science, Space, and Technology and Natural Resources in the 116th Congress and was part of the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs and Small Business in the 115th.

The Congresswoman has sponsored or co-sponsored legislation to improve services to Veterans, provide equal treatment to citizens in the U.S. Territories, protect access to education, strengthen security and promote Small Business. These efforts have led to the appropriation of $4.9 Billion to stabilize the Puerto Rico Medicaid program and the expansion of the Opportunity Zones job creation program to all the Island.

González Colón had to represent Puerto Rico during its worst natural disaster in 90 years after hurricanes Irma and Maria. Her efforts to keep Puerto Rico’s recovery at the forefront of Congress’ attention, organizing visits of members of Congress and high federal officials, building bipartisan alliances, have produced over $30 Billion in appropriations after the disaster as well as legislation allowing infrastructure to be rebuilt to improved standards, full federal share in funding for rebuilding, and an extension in the emergency agencies’ mandates.

Panel Information

Saturday, December 5

1:10 PM EST

The Future is Female … One Nation United

32 million Latinos were eligible to vote in 2020, and they were a key factor in the outcome of the presidential election. Latinas drive household decisions and affect who shows up to the polls in their communities. This conversation will address the key role Latinas had in the presidential elections and what issues drove Latinas to the poll such as affordable and quality healthcare, immigration, and the economy. This panel will also address the growing number of Latinas running for office and participation in elections.