Jennifer González
Encyclopedia
Jenniffer A. González Colón (born August 5, 1976) is a Puerto Rican
politician
who serves as the Speaker
of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
, a commonwealth
with the United States
. She is affiliated with the pro-statehood New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
(NPP) and the United States Republican Party. She also serves as Vice-Chairwoman of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico and Vice-Chairwoman of the New Progressive Party.
, after his resignation as Representative from San Juan's 4th District due to being convicted and sentenced to nearly six years in prison for extortion, money laundering and obstruction of justice. She was the first female elected representative of San Juan's Fourth District and the youngest member of the 14th Legislative Assembly. Previous to being elected as Representative, González served as Chairwoman of the San Juan New Progressive Party Youth Organization and was very active in the Pro-Statehood Students movement while attending college.
González was re-elected in the 2004 Puerto Rico General Elections, this time as an At-Large Representative. She served as Chairwoman of the House Government Affairs Committee, and as ranking member of the Budget, San Juan Development, Women's Affairs, and Internal Affairs Committees, as well as the Joint Commission for the Revision of the Civil Code of Puerto Rico.
As Speaker, González has had to deal with several scandals related to several representatives. In all cases, she has deferred to the Ethics Committee to handle them, and has stood by the Committee's findings. In 2010 she supported the recommendations that Rep. Iván A. Rodríguez Traverzo (NPP-16) be impeached and expelled from the House of Representatives for charges that he had solicited bribes, but on the day that the vote to do so was on the House Floor, Rodríguez resigned. Several days later, Rodríguez withdrew his resignation, and on January 2011, the House voted for his expulsion, making him the first member of the House in more than seventy years to be expelled.
Several weeks later, the Ethics Committee recommended the expulsion of Rep. Luis E. Farinacci Morales (PDP-At Large)for charges that he had threatened the life of his wife's parents. Similar to what had happened in Rodríguez's case, Farinacci resigned his post on the day that House was going to vote for his expulsion.
González faced a tremendous blow when Rep. Rolando Crespo Arroyo, the House Mayority Leader, tested positive for the use of cocaine, on a routine drug test ordered by the Speaker. Crespo resigned, making him the first legislator in Puerto Rican history to so for testing positive for the use of illegal drugs.
There are three more House members, Rep. Carmen Y. Cruz Soto (PDP-At Large), Rep. Rafael Hernández Montañez (PDP-At Large), and House Minority Whip, Rep. Luis R. Torres Cruz (PDP-2) who are being currently investigated, either by the Ethics Committee or the Special Independent Prosecutor's Office.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who serves as the Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico...
, a commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She is affiliated with the pro-statehood New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that advocates for Puerto Rico's admission to the United States of America as the 51st state...
(NPP) and the United States Republican Party. She also serves as Vice-Chairwoman of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico and Vice-Chairwoman of the New Progressive Party.
Representative
González was first elected to the House of Representatives in a special election held on February 24, 2002, to fill the vacancy left by former House Speaker Edison Misla AldarondoEdison Misla Aldarondo
Edison Misla Aldarondo is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the Speaker of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives from 1997 to 2000. He was a founder of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico . He also served as Representative from the 4th District from 1977 to 2002, and...
, after his resignation as Representative from San Juan's 4th District due to being convicted and sentenced to nearly six years in prison for extortion, money laundering and obstruction of justice. She was the first female elected representative of San Juan's Fourth District and the youngest member of the 14th Legislative Assembly. Previous to being elected as Representative, González served as Chairwoman of the San Juan New Progressive Party Youth Organization and was very active in the Pro-Statehood Students movement while attending college.
González was re-elected in the 2004 Puerto Rico General Elections, this time as an At-Large Representative. She served as Chairwoman of the House Government Affairs Committee, and as ranking member of the Budget, San Juan Development, Women's Affairs, and Internal Affairs Committees, as well as the Joint Commission for the Revision of the Civil Code of Puerto Rico.
Speaker of the House
González,at the age of 32,was elected House Speaker by members of her New Progressive Party delegation during a caucus held on November 7, 2008, thereby defeating incumbent House Speaker José Aponte Hernández in his bid for re-election to that post. She thus became the youngest and second woman in Puerto Rican history to be elected Speaker of the House, and the third to hold that seat.As Speaker, González has had to deal with several scandals related to several representatives. In all cases, she has deferred to the Ethics Committee to handle them, and has stood by the Committee's findings. In 2010 she supported the recommendations that Rep. Iván A. Rodríguez Traverzo (NPP-16) be impeached and expelled from the House of Representatives for charges that he had solicited bribes, but on the day that the vote to do so was on the House Floor, Rodríguez resigned. Several days later, Rodríguez withdrew his resignation, and on January 2011, the House voted for his expulsion, making him the first member of the House in more than seventy years to be expelled.
Several weeks later, the Ethics Committee recommended the expulsion of Rep. Luis E. Farinacci Morales (PDP-At Large)for charges that he had threatened the life of his wife's parents. Similar to what had happened in Rodríguez's case, Farinacci resigned his post on the day that House was going to vote for his expulsion.
González faced a tremendous blow when Rep. Rolando Crespo Arroyo, the House Mayority Leader, tested positive for the use of cocaine, on a routine drug test ordered by the Speaker. Crespo resigned, making him the first legislator in Puerto Rican history to so for testing positive for the use of illegal drugs.
There are three more House members, Rep. Carmen Y. Cruz Soto (PDP-At Large), Rep. Rafael Hernández Montañez (PDP-At Large), and House Minority Whip, Rep. Luis R. Torres Cruz (PDP-2) who are being currently investigated, either by the Ethics Committee or the Special Independent Prosecutor's Office.