Nydia M. Velázquez

Democrat Representative of New York's 7th district

Representative
New York, district 12
January 5, 1993 - January 3, 1995
Representative
New York, district 12
January 4, 1995 - January 3, 1997
Representative
New York, district 12
January 7, 1997 - January 3, 1999
Representative
New York, district 12
January 6, 1999 - January 3, 2001
Representative
New York, district 12
January 3, 2001 - January 3, 2003
Representative
New York, district 12
January 7, 2003 - January 3, 2005
Representative
New York, district 12
January 4, 2005 - January 3, 2007
Representative
New York, district 12
January 4, 2007 - January 3, 2009
Representative
New York, district 12
January 6, 2009 - January 3, 2011
Representative
New York, district 12
January 5, 2011 - January 3, 2013
Representative
New York, district 7
January 3, 2013 - January 3, 2015
Representative
New York, district 7
January 6, 2015 - January 3, 2017
Representative
New York, district 7
January 3, 2017 - January 3, 2019
Representative
New York, district 7
January 3, 2019 - January 3, 2021
Representative
New York, district 7
January 3, 2021 - January 3, 2023
Representative
New York, district 7
January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2025

202-225-2361

@NydiaVelazquez

velazquez.house.gov

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Congresses Served

House Terms

January 1, 1953 (71 years old)

Birthday

Has been serving in the United States House of Representatives since 1993.
Was the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus until January 3, 2011.
First Puerto Rican woman to serve in the United States Congress.
Born and raised in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, in a politically active family.
Skipped three grades as a child and was the first in her family to graduate from high school.
Holds a B.A. degree in political science, magna cum laude, from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, and an M.A. degree in political science from New York University.
Worked as an instructor of political science at the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao and as an adjunct professor of Puerto Rican studies at Hunter College.
Became the first Hispanic woman to serve on the New York City Council in 1984.
Served as national director of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources’ Migration Division Office and later as the director of the Department of Puerto Rican Community Affairs in the United States.
Pioneered the Atrévete Con Tu Voto program to politically empower Latinos in the United States.
Played a leadership role in the Vieques movement against the US military’s use of the island for bombing practices.
Has served on several committees in the House of Representatives, including the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Small Business, which she chaired.
Known for voting with President Joe Biden’s stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress.
Was among the Democrats who voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
Involved in various caucuses, including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus, and others.
Personal challenges include a publicized suicide attempt in 1991 due to clinical depression, from which she recovered and became more committed to public service.
Is Catholic and has been through a divorce from Brooklyn-based printer Paul Bader, whom she married in 2000.