- House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico (Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico) is the
lower house of theLegislative Assembly of Puerto Rico , larger than the Senate. Together, they compose thelegislative branch of thegovernment of Puerto Rico .Composition
In order to elect the members of the House,
Puerto Rico is divided into fortyrepresentative district s. Article VIII of theConstitution of Puerto Rico divides Puerto Rico into eightsenatorial district s, each one of them composed of five of the aforementioned representative districts.For each one of the representative districts, the people of Puerto Rico elect one Representative. In addition, the people are allowed to vote for one
Representative At-Large of their preference. The eleven Representatived At-Large with the majority of votes complete the rest of the House, which totals 51 members.Article III, Section 5 of the
Constitution of Puerto Rico states that no person shall be a member of the Senate unless he:* is capable of reading and writing in either Spanish or English;
* is a citizen of theUnited States andPuerto Rico ;
* has resided in Puerto Rico for at least two years immediately prior to the date of his election or appointment;
* is over twenty-five years of age.History
Created in 1900 as the House of Delegates under the Foraker Act, the lower body of the Puerto Rico Legislature was the only elected body until the Senate was created in 1917 under the Jones-Shaffroth Act.
In 1969, the House was controlled by the
New Progressive Party , which also controlled the governorship, but not the Senate, Puerto Rico's first experiment with "split" governments. Angel Viera Martinez, a former prosecutor and freshman representative was elected to the first of three stints as Speaker.In 1973, the Popular Democratic Party reacquired control of the House but was ousted as the majority party in the 1976 elections, won by the NPP. Viera Martinez was elected in 1977 to his second stint as Speaker.
As a result of the 1980 elections, the new House in 1981 was tied, unable to elect a Speaker, as required, by an absolute majority. House Secretary Cristino Bernazard, who normally would have presided over the House until it elected its new Speaker in its inaugural session, became the first unelected Acting Speaker of the House until, after political wrangling, the House elected Viera Martinez once again as Speaker for the remainder of 1981 and maverick PDP Rep. Severo Colberg as Speaker for the remainder of the term until 1984. During Bernazard's incumbency, he appointed co-chairs to the House standing committees and required that all House decisions and legislation be approved by consensus.
Jose Ronaldo "Rony" Jarabo, served as Speaker from 1985 to 1992 and was succeeded by the first woman Speaker, Zaida Hernandez Torres, who served until 1996.
Edison Misla Aldarondo, Hernandez'
Speaker pro Tempore , became Speaker in 1997. After he left office in 2000 he was convicted of corruption charges in federal and state courts. He was succeeded in office by Carlos Vizcarrondo during the 2001-2004 term.In 2005, as a PDP governor took office but the NPP controlled the Senate and the House, José Aponte Hernández, a loyalist of NPP President Pedro Rossello, was elected as Speaker of the House. In addition to the tension with the executive branch, Aponte's term has been tinged with greater-than-average tension with the Senate, in which his support for Rossello's bid to oust Senate President
Kenneth McClintock , whom he has called a "traitor" to his party, took him to lead over 20 NPP representatives to converge on the Senate floor in opposition to McClintock's permanence as Senate President, considered by many the all-time historical low-point in Senate-House relations.Current House Leadership
José Aponte Hernández - Speaker
Epifanio Jiménez Cruz - Speaker Pro TemIris Miriam Ruiz Class - Majority LeaderMaría de Lourdes Ramos Rivera - Majority WhipHéctor Ferrer Ríos - PDP Minority LeaderLuis Raúl Torres Cruz - Minority WhipVictor Garcia San Inocencio - PIP Minority LeaderAntonio Silva Delgado - Treasury Committee ChairmanJenniffer González Colón - Government Committee ChairwomanAngel A. Pérez Otero - Budget Committee ChairmanJavier A. Rivera Aquino - Agriculture Committee ChairmanCarlos Molina Rodriguez - Juvenile Affairs Committee ChairmanAlbita Rivera Ramirez - Women Affairs Committee ChairwomanJorge Navarro Suarez - Consumer Affairs Committee ChairmanMaria de Lourdes Ramos Rivera - Internal Affairs Committee ChairwomanAngel R. Peña Rosa - Municipal Affairs Committee ChairmanRolando Crespo Arroyo - Social Welfare Committee ChairmanIris M. Ruiz Class - Calendar and Rules Committee ChairwomanJorge L. Jimenez Negron - Commerce and Industry Committee ChairmanBernardo Marquez Garcia - Cooperativism Committee ChairmanFrancisco Gonzalez Rodriguez - San Juan Development Committee ChairmanJose Chico Vega - Socioeconomic and Planification Committee ChairmanAlbita Rivera Ramirez - Education and Culture Committee ChairwomanFrancisco Gonzalez Rodriguez - Ethics Committee ChairmanCristobal Colon Ruiz - Infrastructure and Transportation Committee ChairmanHector A. Torres Calderon - Public Integrity Committee ChairmanLiza Fernandez Rodriguez - Judicial and Public Safety Committee ChairwomanNelson E. Del Valle Colon - Sports and Recreation Committee ChairmanJorge L. Rivera Guerra - Natural Resources Committee ChairmanRafael Rivera Ortega - Central Region Committee ChairmanAngel Bulerin Ramos - Eastern Region Committee ChairmanJose E. Concepcion Hernandez - Northern Region Committee ChairmanJulio C. Roman Gonzalez - Western Region Committee ChairmanJorge L. Ramos Peña - South Region Committee ChairmanGabriel Rodriguez Aguilo - Health Committee ChairmanCarlos Mendez Nuñez - Labor Relations Committee ChairmanNorman Ramirez Rivera - Tourism Committee ChairmanLuis Perez Ortiz - Urban Development Committee ChairmanBrunilda Ortiz - Secretary of the HouseLatest election
Members of the House of Representatives
*Speaker: José Aponte Hernández (2000-present) "NPP-At Large"
*Speaker Pro Tem:Epifanio Jiménez Cruz (1994-present) "NPP-District 40"At Large Members
*José Chico Vega "NPP-At Large"
*Rolando Crespo Arroyo "NPP-At Large"
*Jenniffer González Colón "NPP-At Large"
*María de Lourdes Ramos Rivera "NPP-At Large"
*Iris Miriam Ruiz Class "NPP-At Large"
*Héctor Ferrer Ríos "PDP-At Large"
*Jorge Colberg Toro "PDP-At Large"
*Ferdinand Pérez Román "PDP-At Large"
*Luis Vega Ramos "PDP-At Large"
*Víctor Garcéa San Inocencio "PIP-At Large"District Members
*Francisco González Rodríguez "NPP-District 1"
*Luis Raúl Torres Cruz "PDP-District 2"
*Albita Rivera Ramírez "NPP-District 3"
*Liza Fernández Rodríguez "NPP-District 4"
*Jorge Navarro Suárez "NPP-District 5"
*Angel Perez Otero "NPP-District 6"
*Luis Pérez Ortíz "NPP-District 7"
*Antonio Silva Delgado "NPP-District 8"
*Nelson Del Valle Colón "NPP-District 9"
*Bernardo Márquez García "NPP-District 10"
*José Javier García Cabán "PDP-District 11"
*Héctor Torres Calderón "NPP-District 12"
*Gabriel Rodríguez Aguiló "NPP-District 13"
*Carlos Molina Rodríguez "NPP-District 14"
*José Concepción Hernández "NPP-District 15"
*Sergio Ortz Quiñones "PDP-District 16"
*José Rivera Guerra "NPP-District 17"
*Julio Román González "NPP-District 18"
*Carlos Hernández López "PDP-District 19"
*Norman Ramírez Rivera "NPP-District 20"
*Lydia Méndez Silva "PDP-District 21"
*Javier Rivera Aquino "NPP-District 22"
*Rafael García Colón "PDP-District 23"
*Roberto Cruz Rodríguez "PDP-District 24"
*Ramón Reyes Oppenheimer "PDP-District 25"
*José Jiménez Negrón "NPP-District 26"
*Carmen González González "PDP-District 27"
*Rafael Rivera Ortega "NPP-District 28"
*Pedro Cintrón Rodríguez "NPP-District 29"
*Jorge Ramos Peña "NPP-District 30"
*Sylvia Rodríguez Aponte "PDP-District 31"
*José Varela Fernández "PDP-District 32"
*Angel Peña Rosa "NPP-District 33"
*Cristóbal Colón Ruiz "NPP-District 34"
*Joel Rosario Hernández "PDP-District 35"
*Carlos Méndez Nuñez "NPP-District 36"
*Angel Bulerín Ramos "NPPistrict 37"
*Pedro Rodríguez González "PDP-District 38"
*Roberto Rivera Ruiz "PDP-District 39"Speakers of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives
Jose De Diego (19__-19__)Speaker of the HouseMiguel A. García Méndez (193_-193_)Speaker of the HouseSamuel R. Quiñones (19__-1944)Speaker of the HouseErnesto Ramos Antonini (1949-196_)Speaker of the HouseSantiago Polanco Abreu (1963-1965)Speaker of the HouseAngel Viera Martinez (1969-1972)Speaker of the HouseLuis Ernesto Ramos Yordan (1973-1976)Speaker of the HouseAngel Viera Martinez (1977-1980)Speaker of the HouseCristino Bernazard (January-April 1981)Acting Speaker of the HouseAngel Viera Martinez (April-December 1981)Speaker of the HouseSevero Colberg Ramirez (1981-1984)Speaker of the HouseJose Ronaldo Jarabo (1985-1992)Speaker of the HouseZaida Hernandez Torres (1993-1996)Speaker of the HouseEdison Misla Aldarondo (1997-2000)Speaker of the HouseCarlos Vizcarrondo (2001-2004)Speaker of the HouseJosé Aponte Hernández (2005-present)Speaker of the House
Composition of Representatives Districts
*District 1 San Juan (part)
*District 2 San Juan (part)
*District 3 San Juan (part)
*District 4 San Juan (part)
*District 5 San Juan (part)-Guaynabo (part)
*District 6 Guaynabo (part)-Cataño-Bayamón (part)
*District 7 Bayamón (part)
*District 8 Bayamón (part)
*District 9 Bayamón (part)-Toa Alta
*District 10 Toa Baja
*District 11 Dorado-Vega Alta (part)-Vega Baja (part)
*District 12 Vega Alta (part)-Vega Baja (part)-Morovis-Manatí (part)
*District 13 Manatí (part)-Ciales-Florida-Barceloneta-Arecibo (part)
*District 14 Arecibo (part)-Hatillo (part)
*District 15 Hatillo (part)-Camuy-Quebradillas
*District 16 Isabela-San Sebastián-Las Marías
*District 17 Aguadilla-Moca (part)
*District 18 Moca (part)-Aguada-Rincón-Añasco-Mayaguez (part)
*District 19 Mayaguez (part)-San Germán (part)
*District 20 San Germán (part)-Hormigueros-Cabo Rojo
*District 21 Lajas-Guánica-Sabana Grande-Maricao-Yauco (part)
*District 22 Lares-Utuado-Adjuntas-Jayuya (part)
*District 23 Yauco (part)-Guayanilla-Peñuelas-Ponce (part)
*District 24 Ponce (part)
*District 25 Jayuya (part)-Ponce (part)
*District 26 Juana Díaz (part)-Villalba-Orocovis
*District 27 Juana Díaz (part)-Santa Isabel-Coamo-Aibonito-Barranquitas (part)
*District 28 Barranquitas (part)-Corozal-Naranjito-Comerío (part)
*District 29 Comerío (part)-Cidra-Cayey
*District 30 Salinas-Guayama-Arroyo
*District 31 Aguas Buenas-Caguas (part)-Gurabo (part)
*District 32 Caguas (part)
*District 33 Gurabo (part)-San Lorenzo (part)-Juncos-Las Piedras (part)
*District 34 San Lorenzo (part)-Patillas-Maunabo-Yabucoa
*District 35 Las Piedras (part)-Humacao-Naguabo
*District 36 Vieques-Culebra-Ceiba-Fajardo-Luquillo-Río Grande (part)
*District 37 Río Grande (part)-Loíza-Canóvanas (part)
*District 38 Canóvanas (part)-Trujillo Alto (part)-Carolina (part)
*District 39 Carolina (part)-Trujillo Alto (part)
*District 40 Carolina (part)External links
* [http://www.camaraderepresentantes.org/ Puerto Rico House of Representatives]
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