Nydia M. Velázquez
DemocratU.S. Representative, NY-7| Age | 73 (b. 1953-03-28) |
| Gender | Female |
| In office since | 1993-01-05 (~33 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | Hispanic/Latina (Puerto Rican); her father was recorded as Black on the 1940 U.S. Census |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Education | B.A. in Political Science, University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras (1974, magna cum laude); M.A. in Political Science, New York University (1976) |
| Prior occupation | Educator/academic — instructor of political science at University of Puerto Rico at Humacao (1976-1981) and adjunct professor of Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (1981-1983); later a government administrator |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Limones, Yabucoa, Puerto Rico |
| Languages | Spanish, English |
| Marital status | Married Paul Bader in 2000; divorce proceedings reported in 2010 (current status not publicly confirmed) — Paul Bader |
| Residence | Brooklyn, New York |
Pending research: children · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1992 |
| Previous offices | New York City Council member, 27th district (1984-1985) · U.S. Representative, New York's 12th congressional district (1993-2013) · National Director, Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources Migration Division Office (1986-1989) · Director, Department of Puerto Rican Community Affairs in the United States (1989-1992) |
| Committees | House Committee on Financial Services · House Committee on Small Business (Ranking Member, since January 2023) · House Committee on Natural Resources |
| Caucuses | Congressional Progressive Caucus · Congressional Hispanic Caucus · Congressional Equality Caucus · Medicare for All Caucus · Black Maternal Health Caucus · Climate Solutions Caucus · Blue Collar Caucus |
| Leadership | Chair, House Small Business Committee (2007-2011, 2019-2023) · Ranking Member, House Small Business Committee (2011-2019, 2023-present) · Chair, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (2009-2011) |
| Ideology | Progressive Democrat; member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Voted in line with President Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress per FiveThirtyEight analysis. |
| Signature legislation | Small Business Lending Fairness Act (restricting predatory 'confession of judgment' clauses in small business loans) · Small Business Lending Disclosure Act · Provisions in the NDAA giving Puerto Rico firms enhanced federal small-business contracting credit · Mel Law (2024), guaranteeing posthumous degrees to students who die before completing studies |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $500,001–$1,000,000 (2023) · estimate
| Real estate — 'Los Chivos' property in Vieques, Puerto Rico | real_estate · $500,001–$1,000,000 · 2023 |
Top donors: JStreetPAC ($11,240 (2024 cycle))
Top industries: Securities & Investment · Financial services / Finance, Insurance & Real Estate · Lawyers/Law Firms · Real Estate
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — Arrest at Supreme Court Abortion-Rights Protest
On July 19, 2022, Velázquez was among 17 House members arrested by U.S. Capitol Police for 'Crowding, Obstructing, or Incommoding' during an abortion-rights protest outside the Supreme Court Building following the Dobbs decision. All were ticketed and released on-site. The House Ethics Committee convened on July 27, 2022, reviewed the arrests, voted against establishing an investigative subcommittee, and formally closed the matter with publication of House Report 117-449 on July 29, 2022. Each arrested member paid a $50 fine and the underlying charge was resolved with no further legal action.