González-Colón, Jenniffer, 1976-

GONZÁLEZ-CÓLON, Jenniffer, a Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico; born in San Juan, P.R., August 5, 1976; B.A., University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, P.R., 2001; J.D., Inter American University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, P.R., 2010; L.L.M., Inter American University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, P.R., 2014; chair, Puerto Rico Republican Party, 2015-present; co-chair, Puerto Rico Republican Party, 2004-2015; vice-president, New Progressive Party, 2008-present; member of the Puerto Rico house of representatives, 2002-2016; speaker, 2009-2012; minority leader, 2013-2016; elected as a New Progressive to the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress to a four-year term in 2016 and reelected to the succeeding four-year term in 2020 (January 3, 2017-present); caucused with the Republican Party.

<p>Jenniffer Aydin González Colón (born August 5, 1976) is a Puerto Rican politician who currently serves as the 20th Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. González has served in leadership positions in the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico (PNP) and in the Republican Party of the United States. These positions included being the chairwoman of the Puerto Rico Republican Party, Speaker and minority leader of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, and vice-chair of the PNP.</p>

<p>González is the youngest person to be Resident Commissioner and the first woman to occupy the role.</p>

<p>González was born in San Juan to the late Jorge González and Nydia Colón. She graduated from University Gardens High School and then received a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Puerto Rico's Río Piedras campus. During these years she served as the executive director of the Young Republican Federation of Puerto Rico.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>A lifelong Republican activist for Puerto Rican statehood, Ms. González-Colón entered electiveoffice 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.</p>

<p>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.</p>