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She’s Puerto Rico’s Only Link to Washington. She Could Be Its Future Governor. She’s Puerto Rico’s Only Link to Washington. She Could Be Its Future Governor.
(2 days later)
WASHINGTON — With the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosselló of Puerto Rico, the mantle of political seniority on the island could rest on a woman who has many obligations and virtually no power to fulfill them beyond her ability to harangue others into helping her.WASHINGTON — With the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosselló of Puerto Rico, the mantle of political seniority on the island could rest on a woman who has many obligations and virtually no power to fulfill them beyond her ability to harangue others into helping her.
Jenniffer González-Colón is Puerto Rico’s representative in Congress, and something of a metaphor for Puerto Rico itself, a territory with 3.2 million residents caught in a perpetual state of purgatory. They are American citizens in name, but lack many of the benefits of citizenship, including full representation on Capitol Hill.Jenniffer González-Colón is Puerto Rico’s representative in Congress, and something of a metaphor for Puerto Rico itself, a territory with 3.2 million residents caught in a perpetual state of purgatory. They are American citizens in name, but lack many of the benefits of citizenship, including full representation on Capitol Hill.
Ms. González-Colón’s news releases refer to her as “congresswoman,” but her official title is resident commissioner, which means she has far less power than others in the House of Representatives. She can propose legislation and vote on bills in committees and on the House floor, but with a telling asterisk: Should her ballot be the deciding one, the House votes again — this time without her participation.Ms. González-Colón’s news releases refer to her as “congresswoman,” but her official title is resident commissioner, which means she has far less power than others in the House of Representatives. She can propose legislation and vote on bills in committees and on the House floor, but with a telling asterisk: Should her ballot be the deciding one, the House votes again — this time without her participation.
“If it counts, it doesn’t count,” Luis Bacó, Ms. González-Colón’s former chief of staff and a top aide to two previous commissioners, said in an interview. “Honestly, it’s more of a pain in the neck than anything else.”“If it counts, it doesn’t count,” Luis Bacó, Ms. González-Colón’s former chief of staff and a top aide to two previous commissioners, said in an interview. “Honestly, it’s more of a pain in the neck than anything else.”
A similar situation exists for the District of Columbia and other territories such as Guam and the United States Virgin Islands. Those in the territories also do not have the ability to vote in presidential elections.A similar situation exists for the District of Columbia and other territories such as Guam and the United States Virgin Islands. Those in the territories also do not have the ability to vote in presidential elections.
Still, Mr. Rosselló’s departure and the resignation this week of his acting representative in Washington leaves Ms. González-Colón as the only link between its residents and the Capitol. It also opens an opportunity to replace him as governor, an ambition she is widely believed to harbor.Still, Mr. Rosselló’s departure and the resignation this week of his acting representative in Washington leaves Ms. González-Colón as the only link between its residents and the Capitol. It also opens an opportunity to replace him as governor, an ambition she is widely believed to harbor.
[Read about how the governor of Puerto Rico misread the anger brewing against him.][Read about how the governor of Puerto Rico misread the anger brewing against him.]
Ms. González-Colón and Mr. Rosselló are members of the same Puerto Rican political party and even ran on the same 2016 ticket, but the relationship has not always been amicable. Her ties to the governor’s Washington representatives were strained, and when Mr. Rosselló tumbled into scandal this month with the publication of vulgar messages between him and his staff, she called the messages shameful and urged him to drop any plans for re-election.Ms. González-Colón and Mr. Rosselló are members of the same Puerto Rican political party and even ran on the same 2016 ticket, but the relationship has not always been amicable. Her ties to the governor’s Washington representatives were strained, and when Mr. Rosselló tumbled into scandal this month with the publication of vulgar messages between him and his staff, she called the messages shameful and urged him to drop any plans for re-election.
She said this week that no one had consulted her about her replacing Mr. Rosselló, a possibility should she be appointed to the now-vacant post of secretary of state, first in the line of succession. (Wanda Vázquez, the secretary of justice, is now first in line to replace Mr. Rosselló, but faces opposition.) And Ms. González-Colón refused to talk about running for the office in 2020, saying, “I don’t think public officials should be wondering or speculating about what can happen, or about their political ambitions” during the crisis.She said this week that no one had consulted her about her replacing Mr. Rosselló, a possibility should she be appointed to the now-vacant post of secretary of state, first in the line of succession. (Wanda Vázquez, the secretary of justice, is now first in line to replace Mr. Rosselló, but faces opposition.) And Ms. González-Colón refused to talk about running for the office in 2020, saying, “I don’t think public officials should be wondering or speculating about what can happen, or about their political ambitions” during the crisis.
But in the same breath, she noted that her campaign to become resident commissioner garnered more votes in 2016 than any other candidate for office in the territory.But in the same breath, she noted that her campaign to become resident commissioner garnered more votes in 2016 than any other candidate for office in the territory.
Were Puerto Rico a state, it would have two senators and four seats in the House. Ms. González-Colón is in fact a passionate advocate of statehood, and the American flag outside her House office sports 51 stars. Were Puerto Rico a state, it would have two senators and four seats in the House. Ms. González-Colón is in fact a passionate advocate of statehood, and the American flag outside her House office has 51 stars.
Until that happens, her real job is more akin to a foreign ambassador than a member of Congress, said former Representative Luis Gutiérrez, a Chicago Democrat who moved to Puerto Rico after his retirement last year.Until that happens, her real job is more akin to a foreign ambassador than a member of Congress, said former Representative Luis Gutiérrez, a Chicago Democrat who moved to Puerto Rico after his retirement last year.
“It sounds a little strange,” he said, “but they’re a kind of lobbyist-in-chief/ambassador for the people of Puerto Rico. To the extent they do that well, there can be some relative success in the job.”“It sounds a little strange,” he said, “but they’re a kind of lobbyist-in-chief/ambassador for the people of Puerto Rico. To the extent they do that well, there can be some relative success in the job.”
The island, however, is in need of much more than relative success in Congress. Just since Ms. González-Colón took office in 2017 for a four-year term, Puerto Rico has been stricken with a fiscal crisis that led Congress to place its budget under federal oversight, two major hurricanes that wrecked its already crumbling infrastructure, and corruption and political scandals that led this week to Mr. Rosselló’s resignation.The island, however, is in need of much more than relative success in Congress. Just since Ms. González-Colón took office in 2017 for a four-year term, Puerto Rico has been stricken with a fiscal crisis that led Congress to place its budget under federal oversight, two major hurricanes that wrecked its already crumbling infrastructure, and corruption and political scandals that led this week to Mr. Rosselló’s resignation.
[The next governor will inherit a financial mess.][The next governor will inherit a financial mess.]
According to Census Bureau estimates, Puerto Rico lost more than 200,000 residents — 6 percent of its population — between 2016 and 2018. Most moved to the American mainland for more stable and better-paying jobs.According to Census Bureau estimates, Puerto Rico lost more than 200,000 residents — 6 percent of its population — between 2016 and 2018. Most moved to the American mainland for more stable and better-paying jobs.
“My sister is living in Alaska,” Ms. González-Colón said in an interview this week. “A lot of specialists and professionals in the health industry are leaving the island, putting more stress to a very difficult situation.”“My sister is living in Alaska,” Ms. González-Colón said in an interview this week. “A lot of specialists and professionals in the health industry are leaving the island, putting more stress to a very difficult situation.”
That outflow has raised political awareness of Puerto Rico’s situation in places like Florida and the East Coast where most of the newcomers have settled. Recruiting support for the island elsewhere, however, is a never-ending and sometimes thankless labor.That outflow has raised political awareness of Puerto Rico’s situation in places like Florida and the East Coast where most of the newcomers have settled. Recruiting support for the island elsewhere, however, is a never-ending and sometimes thankless labor.
Ms. González-Colón has organized a stream of visits by congressional delegations from both parties — including 15 Democrats led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — to view the island’s hurricane damage, a strategy she called her most effective tool for winning new backers. She won an exemption to add a third congressional committee to her assigned duties, giving her added clout in the only venue where her vote actually counts.Ms. González-Colón has organized a stream of visits by congressional delegations from both parties — including 15 Democrats led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — to view the island’s hurricane damage, a strategy she called her most effective tool for winning new backers. She won an exemption to add a third congressional committee to her assigned duties, giving her added clout in the only venue where her vote actually counts.
A vice president of the island’s Republican Party, Ms. González-Colón runs a leadership political action committee that doled out money to 14 Republican members of the House in the last election cycle. And she campaigned last year for Republican candidates in six states, from Florida to Nebraska, who had supported efforts to help the island.A vice president of the island’s Republican Party, Ms. González-Colón runs a leadership political action committee that doled out money to 14 Republican members of the House in the last election cycle. And she campaigned last year for Republican candidates in six states, from Florida to Nebraska, who had supported efforts to help the island.
“That’s the way you show them that you care, the same way they did for me,” she said.“That’s the way you show them that you care, the same way they did for me,” she said.
Being a Republican in a Democrat-ruled House rived by partisanship has been less than helpful to her cause. While she was not a Trump supporter in 2016 — Puerto Rico’s delegation to the Republican National Convention cast its votes for Senator Marco Rubio of Florida — she nevertheless is the chair of a group, Latinos for Trump, that is backing the president’s re-election campaign. Being a Republican in a Democrat-ruled House fractured by partisanship has been less than helpful to her cause. While she was not a Trump supporter in 2016 — Puerto Rico’s delegation to the Republican National Convention cast its votes for Senator Marco Rubio of Florida — she nevertheless is the chair of a group, Latinos for Trump, that is backing the president’s re-election campaign.
She has called her relationship with President Trump “phenomenal,” saying he had consistently backed and signed legislation that helped the island. In turn, Mr. Trump has praised her on Twitter as “wonderful to deal with and a great representative of the people.”She has called her relationship with President Trump “phenomenal,” saying he had consistently backed and signed legislation that helped the island. In turn, Mr. Trump has praised her on Twitter as “wonderful to deal with and a great representative of the people.”
But in practice, she has tried to straddle the political divide. The website Govtrack.us rated her among the least conservative Republicans in the last Congress. She recruited or joined Democratic sponsors of legislation far more often than most of her Republican colleagues.But in practice, she has tried to straddle the political divide. The website Govtrack.us rated her among the least conservative Republicans in the last Congress. She recruited or joined Democratic sponsors of legislation far more often than most of her Republican colleagues.
That said, the results sometimes have been mixed. With help from the Republican-led Senate, Ms. González-Colón won crucial Medicaid funding for the island last year, and Congress overcame partisan differences this spring to send Puerto Rico more than $36 billion in hurricane relief aid.That said, the results sometimes have been mixed. With help from the Republican-led Senate, Ms. González-Colón won crucial Medicaid funding for the island last year, and Congress overcame partisan differences this spring to send Puerto Rico more than $36 billion in hurricane relief aid.
But the tax legislation that Republicans enacted in 2017 stripped the island of a crucial tax break, treating subsidiaries of American companies there as if they were based in foreign countries. And her signature legislation, a bill granting the island statehood, has been declared dead on arrival by her own party’s top official, the Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. But the tax legislation that Republicans enacted in 2017 stripped the island of a crucial tax break, treating subsidiaries of American companies there as if they were based in foreign countries. And her signature legislation, a bill granting the island statehood, has been declared dead on arrival by her own party’s top official, the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell.
That, she said, made her sad, but undeterred. “Statehood is going to happen,” she said, “the same way as the right for women to vote, for people of color to vote, and many others. This is a civil rights issue.”That, she said, made her sad, but undeterred. “Statehood is going to happen,” she said, “the same way as the right for women to vote, for people of color to vote, and many others. This is a civil rights issue.”