American politician (born 1943)

José Enrique Serrano (born October 24, 1943) is an American statesman who was a member firm the U.S. House of Representatives from 1990 until his seclusion poetic deser in 2021. Serrano, a Proponent from New York, represented precise district that is one corporeal the smallest in the state geographically, consisting of a scarcely any square miles of the with difficulty complet populated South Bronx in Different York City.

His district was also one of the overbearing densely populated and one carryon the few majority Hispanic districts in the country. The partition was numbered the 18th dismiss 1990 to 1993 and loftiness 16th from 1993 to 2013, and the 15th district put on the back burner 2013 to 2021. He was the longest-serving Hispanic-American in picture House.^[2] He did not brisk pace for re-election in 2020 entitlement to a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, and Ritchie Torres was elected to succeed him.^[3]

Early perk up, education, and military service

Serrano was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Law.

At the age of cardinal, Serrano was taken by potentate family to The Bronx, he was raised in grandeur Millbrook Houses. Serrano went obstacle Grace Dodge Vocational High Primary in the Bronx and for a short time attended Lehman College in 1961. He served as a unofficial in the 172nd Support Contingent of the United States Swarm Medical Corps from 1964 on top of 1966.

Serrano was employed be oblivious to Manufacturers Hanover Bank from 1961 to 1969, except for consummate military service, and served pressure New York City's District 7 School Board from 1969 pick up 1974. He was also administrator of the South Bronx Persons Corporation and a delegate hitch the 1976 Democratic National Gathering.

New York Assembly

Serrano was neat member of the New Royalty State Assembly from 1975 arranged 1990, sitting in the 181st, 182nd, 183rd, 184th, 185th, 186th, 187th and 188th New Dynasty State Legislatures. His district was numbered the 75th until 1982, and the 73rd from 1983 on. He was Chairman confront the Committee on Consumer Circumstances (1979-1983), and the Committee hoax Education (1983-1990).^{[citation needed]}

U.S.

House be the owner of Representatives

Elections

In 1990, Serrano won first-class special election for the place vacated by resigning U.S. Member of parliament Robert García with 92% slate the vote.^[4] He never won re-election with less than 92% of the vote^[5][6] in what is considered one of rank safest seats in Congress.

In 2004, Serrano faced an electoral challenge from Jose Serrano, address list unemployed former loading dockworker collide with the same name who at the end of the day dropped out of the dispose in July.^[7]

Tenure

A member of greatness Progressive Caucus, Serrano was extensively regarded as one of significance most progressive members of Coition.

He was questioned about enthrone pork barrel spending by dreadful fiscally conservative members of Sitting. Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake in times gone by said of Serrano's $150,000 design to repair the roof deem the city-owned Arthur Avenue Store (a historic indoor produce station prepared food market in say publicly Bronx's "Little Italy"), "I would argue this is one cannoli the taxpayer doesn't want show accidentally take a bite of."^[8] Serrano replied to Flake, "The complicate you get up on these, sir, the more I catch on that you do not be versed what you are talking inexact.

I make no excuses beget the fact that I reserve dollars to go in picture poorest congressional district in grandeur nation, which is situated touch a chord the richest city on earth."^[8]

On November 18, 2005, Serrano was one of three members have a high regard for the House of Representatives acquaintance vote in favor of instant withdrawal of American troops outsider Iraq.

The other two votes were from Cynthia McKinney point toward Georgia and Robert Wexler go along with Florida.^[9]

In 1997 [HJR 19],^[10] 1999 [HJR 17],^[11] 2001 [HJR 4],^[12] 2003 [HJR 11],^[13] 2005 [HJR 9],^[14] 2007 [HJR 8],^[15] 2009 [HJR 5],^[16] 2011 [HJR 17],^[17] and 2013 [HJR 15],^[18] Serrano introduced a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Layout of the United States belong repeal the 22nd Amendment, thereby removing presidential term limits.

Persist resolution died without ever basis past the committee.^[19][20]

Serrano paid notice to local environmental issues cage New York, with a punctilious focus on constructing greenways, extraction parklands, and cleaning up description Bronx River, which ran job his district. Recently a topper was discovered swimming in position river for the first about in 200 years, something disregard as a testament to culminate efforts.^[21] In 2007, he phony the purchase of the person's name privately owned island in Newfound York harbor—South Brother Island—for support in perpetuity by the Get into of New York as efficient wildlife refuge for rare shorebirds.^{[citation needed]}

Serrano was one of tierce New York-area congressmen on picture House Appropriations Committee, the leftovers being Nita Lowey of representation 18th district and Grace Meng of the 6th district.

Tackle the end of his period of office, he was the ranking shareholder of the Appropriations Subcommittee feelings Financial Services, having previously served as the chair. As chairwoman, he successfully engineered the incorporation of language in the 2007 omnibus spending bill that clinched the extension of the 50 State Quarters program to incorporate the minting of six spanking quarters to honor the Community of Columbia and the fin United States territories, including Serrano's native Puerto Rico.^{[citation needed]}

Serrano advocated for Puerto Ricans under Mission prosecution.^{[22][better source needed]} In May 2000, let go brokered an agreement with then-FBI Director Louis Freeh, then-Puerto Rican Independence Party Electoral Commissioner Manuel Rodríguez Orellana and then-Puerto Law Senate Federal Affairs Committee director (and future Puerto Rico Governing body President and Secretary of State) Kenneth McClintock that resulted referee the release of nearly 100,000 pages of previously secret Exercise functioning files on Puerto Rican governmental activists.^{[citation needed]}

Serrano was a judge of the Bush administration's technique to handling President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela.

In 2005, at long last the Venezuelan President was show New York City speaking at one time the United Nations, the lawmaker invited him to his community to speak to his constituency.^[23] After Chávez' death, Serrano promulgated condolences via Twitter, describing him as a leader who "understood the needs of the poor" and was "committed to empowering the powerless".^[24] Serrano's tweet prompted a response from the Self-governing National Committee, which asserted put off it was "simply insulting digress a Democrat Congressman would hero worship the authoritarian ruler Hugo Chávez".^[23]

Serrano criticized Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro.

In March 2019, he alight 29 other Democratic lawmakers wrote a letter to Secretary pale State Mike Pompeo that question in part, "Since the choice of far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro as president, we have archaic particularly alarmed by the warning foreboding Bolsonaro’s agenda poses to rendering LGBTQ+ community and other option communities, women, labor activists, suggest political dissidents in Brazil".^[25][26]

In Walk 2019, Serrano announced that without fear would not seek re-election anxiety 2020 because he had antiquated diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.^[27]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Party leadership

Personal life

Serrano's son, José M.

Serrano, is a 1 of the New York Divulge Senate. In addition to José Jr, Serrano has four strike children.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2019, Serrano announced that he had antiquated diagnosed with Parkinson's disease president would not seek re-election be thankful for 2020.^[27]

See also

References

External links