Vela, Filemón B. (Filemón Bartolomé), 1963-

Filemón Bartolomé Vela Jr. (born February 13, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he has served as the U.S. Representative for Texas's 34th congressional district since 2013.

Born in Harlingen, Texas and raised in nearby Brownsville, he attended Saint Joseph Academy in Brownsville before earning a B.A. from Georgetown University. During his time at Georgetown, he served as an intern at the Federal Judicial Center, the research and education agency of the federal judicial system. He also served as an intern in Solomon P. Ortiz's office in Washington, D.C. Vela went on to earn a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law in 1987. He worked helping individuals seek justice in state and federal courts as an attorney for more than 20 years in South Texas.

In 2012, Vela ran in Texas's newly created 34th congressional district as a Democrat, winning the Democratic primary and general election. He has been re-elected four times. Vela is a member of the House Agriculture Committee and the House Armed Services Committee. In Congress, Vela has been a strong advocate for immigrant rights, education programs—including Head Start and Pell Grants for college students—and community health centers. He is vehemently opposed to the construction of a border wall and is focused on bringing peace and security to neighbors on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border. He is also working to bring jobs and economic development to South Texas through many efforts, including transforming the Port of Brownsville into a competitive deep water port. On March 22, 2021, Vela announced that he would not seek reelection in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections.