Skip to main content

Biography

Jenniffer Aidyn González Colón

Image
Official Portrait

 

Jenniffer González-Colón was elected on November 8th, 2016, as Puerto Rico's sole Representative to the U.S. Congress, known as Resident Commissioner, and became the first woman to hold the office. Ms. González-Colón garnered the highest number of votes of any single elected official on the Island in both the 2016 and 2020 elections that she was a candidate for.

A lifelong Republican advocate for Puerto Rico statehood, Ms. González-Colón began her political journey in a special election in 2002, becoming the youngest member ever elected to the Puerto Rico House of Representatives. She quickly ascended through the ranks, serving as Speaker of the House for four years and later as Minority Leader for an additional four years.

Her priorities as Puerto Rico’s voice in Congress include spearheading the economic recovery of the Island, securing equal treatment for Puerto Rico's 3.2 million American 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 as reflected by clear majorities through locally-held plebiscites in 2012, 2017, and 2020.

Congresswoman González-Colón is a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the House Committee on Natural Resources. Previously, she served on the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs, Small Business, and Science, Space, and Technology. She currently serves as the Republican Co-Chair of the House Oceans Caucus, the Congressional Friends of Spain Caucus, Congressional Rum Caucus, Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus, and Congressional Endometriosis Caucus. She is also a member of the Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, the Republican Main Street Caucus, and the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, among others.

During the 116th Congress, she was elected by her colleagues to serve as Vice Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues, and in the 117th Congress as Co-Chair. She has participated as a member of the US delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Puerto Rico suffered its worst natural disaster in 90 years after hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the Island in 2017. Ms. González-Colón's efforts to keep Puerto Rico’s recovery at the forefront of Congress’ attention, organizing visits of members of Congress and administration officials, building bipartisan alliances, have resulted in over $117 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.

Her contributions have been acknowledged through various honors, including being named one of the 100 most influential Republican women by NewsMax and consistently ranking among the top 20 in the Bipartisan Index rankings compiled by the Lugar Center and Georgetown University.

Furthermore, Ms. González-Colón has received numerous awards for her advocacy across diverse sectors; including the National Trailblazer Award from the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Hill Champion Award from the National Minority AIDS Council, the Pledge Award by the National Head Start Association, APEX Award for Mental Health advocacy from the American Psychiatric Association, the Puerto Rican Family Institute Public Service Award, the JFNA Health and Long-Term Care Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce, the Empowered Woman of the Year award from Mujer Emprende, American Maritime Champion Award from the American Maritime Partnership, and many others for her achievements in a variety of issues, including advocating for and securing funding for the healthcare sector. For her work in improving U.S.-Spain relations, she was decorated with the Order of Isabella the Catholic, Commander grade, by King Felipe VI of Spain.

Additionally, she has garnered acclaim for her distinguished career as an elected official, earning recognition from organizations such as the Puerto Rico United Retailers Center, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, and the Manufacturer’s Association. Notably, she was honored as an Elected Woman of Excellence by the National Foundation for Women Legislators, underscoring her contributions to public service.

A product of the Puerto Rico public schools, holder of a Juris Doctor and Master of Laws degree (LL.M.), González-Colón served as Chair of the Puerto Rico Republican Party from 2015 to 2021, and First Vice Chair of the local pro-statehood party, Partido Nuevo Progresista.

Español: 

Jenniffer Aidyn González Colón es la primera mujer en representar a Puerto Rico ante el Congreso de los Estados Unidos, quien desde que entró a la Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico, como la representante más joven en su momento, ha roto esquemas.

Fue presidenta de la Cámara de Representantes, fue portavoz de la Minoría, fue presidenta del Partido Republicano de Puerto Rico, es la vicepresidenta de Partido Nuevo Progresista, es la mujer más votada en todo Puerto Rico en las pasadas cuatro elecciones y la persona más votada en las últimas dos elecciones.

Pero esta mujer que rompe esquemas, que es una servidora pública por convicción la mueve el deseo de progreso de la gente, convencida que eso se logra en una lucha de derechos civiles que hoy lidera desde la capital federal: la Estadidad para Puerto Rico.

Sus prioridades como la voz de Puerto Rico en el Congreso incluyen encabezar la recuperación económica de la isla abatidita por huracanes, terremotos y pandemia para la que ha conseguido la cantidad más grande de fondos federales en su historia: sobre $117 billones.

Ha estabilizado el sistema de salud de Puerto Rico al detener el llamado Medicaid Cliff en cuatro ocasiones, logrado aprobación de leyes federales a favor de los veteranos como la conmemoración a nivel nacional del Día de los Borinqueneers, fondos para seguridad, para proyectos comunitarios, para infraestructura,  protecciones a víctimas de violencias doméstica, protección del ambiente, ayudas a pequeños comerciantes, ha fiscalizado el desembolso y uso de fondos para estabilizar la red eléctrica, entre otros.

González Colón es miembro de los Comités de Transporte e Infraestructura y Recursos Naturales en el Congreso. Además, es la copresidenta de los caucus de los Océanos, Amigos de España, del Ron, del VIH/SIDA y de Endometriosis.

También es miembro del Caucus Bipartidista de Solucionadores de Problemas, el Caucus Republicano de Main Street, el Grupo de Trabajo Bipartidista para Combatir el Antisemitismo y de la Junta de Síndicos de National Museum for the American Latino.

Anteriormente, se desempeñó en los Comités de Asuntos de Veteranos, Pequeñas Empresas y Ciencia, Espacio y Tecnología; fue Copresidenta del Caucus Bipartidista de Mujeres; y ha participado como miembro de la delegación de Estados Unidos en la Asamblea Parlamentaria de la OTAN.

Ha sido reconocida por NewsMax como una de las 100 mujeres republicanas más influyentes y constantemente clasificada entre las 20 mejores congresistas que mejor trabaja de manera bipartita.

Ha recibido el Premio Campeone Legislativa de la organización ¨Voice for Adoption, el Premio Hill Champion del Consejo Nacional de SIDA de Minorías, el Premio Pledge de la Asociación Nacional de Head Start, el Premio APEX por la defensa de la Salud Mental de la Asociación Americana  de Psiquiatría, el Premio al Servicio Público del Instituto Puertorriqueño de la Familia, Premio por sus trabajos en la Salud y Cuidado a Largo Plazo de la Federación Judía de Norteamérica, Rutgers/LEAP Leadership Award de la Universidad de Rutgers, Premio a la Trayectoria de la Cámara de Comercio de Puerto Rico, Premio Mujer Empoderada del Año de Mujer Emprende y muchos otros a nivel local y nacional,

Por su trabajo en la mejora de las relaciones entre Estados Unidos y España, el rey Felipe VI de España la condecoró con la Orden de Isabel la Católica, Grado de Comendador.

Producto de las escuelas públicas de Puerto Rico, posee un Juris Doctor y una Maestría en Derecho (LL.M.).