Nydia Velázquez

Velázquez has been an advocate for human and civil rights of the Puerto Rican people. In the late 1990s and the 2000s, she was a leader in the Vieques movement, which sought to stop the United States military from using the inhabited island as a bomb testing ground. In May 2000, Velázquez was one of nearly two hundred people arrested (including fellow congressman Luis Gutiérrez) for refusing to leave the natural habitat the US military wished to continue using as a bombing range.[7] Velázquez was ultimately successful: in May 2003, the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility on Vieques Island was closed; and in May 2004, the U.S. Navy's last remaining base on Puerto Rico, the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station was closed.[8][9]

Velázquez ran for Congress in the 1992 election, seeking a seat in the New York's newly-drawn 12th congressional district, which was drawn as a majority-Hispanic district.[4] Velázquez won the Democratic primary, defeating nine-term incumbent Stephen J. Solarz and four Hispanic candidates.[3]

Velázquez's 2010 campaign income was $759,359. She came out of this campaign with about $7,736 in debt. Her top contributors include Goldman Sachs, the American Bankers Association, the National Roofing Contractors Association and the National Telephone Cooperative Association.[10]

Velázquez, who was redistricted into the 7th congressional district, defeated her Democratic contenders to win the Democratic nomination.[11] Her top contributors included Goldman Sachs, the American Bankers Association and the Independent Community Bankers of America.[12]

In 2003, Hispanic Business Magazine honored her with its first "Woman of the Year" award, citing her support of minority small-business owners. As a Representative, Velázquez has focused on building a legislative agenda that lobbies to increase the opportunities for the nation's 47 million Hispanics, including the over 2.3 million Hispanics currently residing in New York City.[13]

Throughout her career as a New York Representative, Velázquez has consistently and fully supported pro-choice and family-planning interests groups such as the NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Planned Parenthood. Velázquez has consistently shown support of the National Farmers' Union. She has shown no support of interests groups that are against animal rights and animal rightists.[10]

In 2009, Velázquez voted against the amendment Prohibiting Federally Funded Abortion Services. In the past year, Velázquez has supported the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations, the Unemployment Benefits Association, and the Unemployment Benefits Extension. Velázquez has also consistently voted in favor of bills attempting to strengthen women's rights, such as the Employment Discrimination Law Amendments, Equal Pay Bill and the Inclusion of Consolidated Appropriations.[10]

On September 29, 2008, Velázquez voted in favor of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. On November 19, 2008, Congresswoman Velázquez was elected by her peers in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) to lead the group for the 111th Congress.[2]

Prior to removing her name from consideration, she was considered a possible candidate to be appointed to the United States Senate by Governor David Paterson after New York Senator Hillary Clinton was nominated to be a member of President Barack Obama's cabinet.[14]

Among her firsts are: the first Hispanic woman to serve on the New York City Council; the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in Congress; the first woman Ranking Democratic Member of the House Small Business Committee. Velázquez became the first woman to chair the United States House Committee on Small Business in January 2007 as well as the first Hispanic woman to chair a House standing committee.[2]

• Committee on Financial Services;
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit;
  • Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity;
• Committee on Small Business (Chairwoman).
• Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis[15]

• Congressional Hispanic Caucus[16]
• Congressional Progressive Caucus[17]
• Women's Issues Caucus
• Urban Caucus[18]
• House Baltic Caucus[19]
• Congressional Arts Caucus[20]
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus[21]
• Climate Solutions Caucus[22]
• Medicare for All Caucus
• Blue Collar Caucus

Velázquez was formerly a member of the Congressional Out of Iraq Caucus.[23]

Velazquez has been criticized by her primary opponent Jeff Kurzon for her close ties to the banking industry and her reluctance to support reform and transparency measures. A majority of her campaign contributions have come from banks, including Goldman Sachs and the American Bankers Association.[12]