Puerto Rico
When she was sworn into Congress in 1993, Congresswoman Velázquez made history as the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. A native of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, the Island and its people have long been dear to her heart.
In addition, many residents of New York's 7th District hail from Puerto Rico and have family or other close ties to the Island. From working to solve the Puerto Rican debt crisis to bolstering small businesses on the Island, the Congresswoman has been a longtime champion for Puerto Rico.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Congresswoman Velázquez has been at the forefront of recovery efforts. From traveling to the Island to assess the damage to demanding an immediate supplemental funding package, to calling for a more robust and effective response from the Trump Administration, she is urging Washington to provide swift and sustainable relief aid.
For a list of the relief efforts the Congresswoman is supporting, please click here.
The Congresswoman in Sunset Park, Brooklyn organizing relief aid for Hurricane Maria victims.
More on Puerto Rico
WASHINGTON– Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Congressman Pablo José Hernández (D-PR) and Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN), led a letter to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) calling for stronger engagement with small businesses and academic institutions in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
WASHINGTON- Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY) led a letter urging U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to reverse the Trump administration’s decision to phase out operations of contract operated Job Corp centers nationwide by the end of June 2025. The letter focuses on the devastating impact this policy would have on Puerto Rico, where the Job Corps program serves hundreds of low-income youth.
WASHINGTON – Representative Nydia M. Velázquez (D- NY) led five members in urging the House Appropriations Committee to direct the Treasury Department to report on Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) efforts to identify and address tax avoidance under Puerto Rico’s Acts 22 and 20 (now consolidated into Act 60), and to estimate federal revenue losses attributable to these laws.
Washington D.C. - Today, Representatives Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sent a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stop the reduction in force (RIF) and reorganization plans at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) impacting FDA’s San Juan Medical Products Laboratory (SJNLMP).
WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) introduced the Fair Taxation of Digital Assets in Puerto Rico Act, a bill that would close a loophole in the federal tax code that is exploited by cryptocurrency investors claiming Puerto Rican residency to avoid paying taxes on income derived from investments in digital assets.
WASHINGTON –Today, Representatives Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Jared Huffman (D-CA), and Pablo José Hernández (D-PR) urged the Department of Energy (DOE) to accelerate solar installations under Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund’s (PR-ERF) programs, warning that continued delays could have severe consequences for vulnerable communities across the island.
WASHINGTON – Una nueva auditoría federal, solicitada por la congresista Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), confirma que $1 millón en ayuda destinada a apoyar a los pescadores de Puerto Rico tras la pandemia de COVID-19 nunca fue distribuido. Cada pescador elegible pudo haber recibido entre $2,419 y $15,000 por sus pérdidas.
WASHINGTON– A new federal audit, launched at the request of Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), confirms that $1 million in disaster relief intended to assist Puerto Rican fishers after the COVID-19 pandemic was never delivered. Each eligible fisher could have received between $2,419 and $15,000 for their losses.
WASHINGTON– Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) introduced legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, a pioneering historian, writer, and activist, in recognition of his groundbreaking work in preserving and celebrating the history and culture of the African diaspora. The bill introduction coincides with the final day of Black History Month, underscoring the importance of honoring Schomburg’s legacy, particularly at a time when Black history faces ongoing challenges and revisionism.
WASHINGTON– Representatives Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sent a letter to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), calling on the agencies to declassify all records related to the murders of Carlos Muñiz Varela and Santiago “Chagui” Mari Pesquera, two leaders of the Puerto Rican independence movement who were gunned down in the 1970s.