Pedro Pierluisi
| Pedro Pierluisi | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico | |
|
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2017 |
|
| Preceded by | Luis Fortuño |
| Succeeded by | Jenniffer González |
| Attorney General of Puerto Rico | |
|
In office January 2, 1993 – January 1997 |
|
| Governor | Pedro Rosselló |
| Preceded by | Héctor Rivera Cruz |
| Succeeded by | José Fuentes Agostini |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia April 26, 1959 San Juan, Puerto Rico, U.S. |
| Political party | New Progressive |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | María Elena Carrión |
| Children | 4 |
| Education |
Tulane University (BA) George Washington University (JD) |
Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia (born April 26, 1959) is an attorney who was the 19th Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico from 2009 to 2017. In this capacity, Pierluisi served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and as the only delegate that represents all U.S. citizens residing on the island. His constituency encompassed about 3.3 million people and, unlike most others, belongs to an at-large congressional district that covers his entire domicile rather than a subdivision of it. Pierluisi's rights and privileges differed from other congressmen as well, as he is denied a vote on the final disposition of all legislations on the House floor because of his designation as resident commissioner. Still, save for that exception, he exercised his functions like that of any other congressman.
Ideologically, Pierluisi is affiliated with two parties: one within Puerto Rico and another within the United States as a whole. Within Puerto Rico, he is affiliated with the New Progressive Party (PNP in Spanish)—a party that advocates for Puerto Rico to become a state of the United States and that is composed of both Democrats and Republicans. He has also been serving as the party's president since 2013 and will be competing for the party's candidacy for governor during primaries. Outside domestic politics, Pierluisi is a member of the Democratic Party of the United States, as well as being a staunch supporter of President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
As a congressman, Pierluisi focused almost all of his efforts on bills related to Puerto Rico. On this matter, Pierluisi fiercely advocated for two bills. In the first, H.R. 2499, Pierluisi sought to provide for plebiscites to be held in Puerto Rico to determine the island's ultimate political status. He managed to get the bill approved by the House but not by the Senate—a failure that led to the bill's death after the sine die adjournment of the 111th Congress. In the second bill, H.R. 870, Pierluisi sought to include Puerto Rico in Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code so that the island's government-owned corporations could file for bankruptcy—a privilege they do not enjoy as they are excluded from the code. Due to this exclusion, Pierluisi proposed the bill as a fallback against the Puerto Rican government-debt crisis which threatens local agencies that are unable to restructure their debt within the aforementioned legal framework. He continues to advocate for Puerto Rico to be included in said framework, with both Democrats and Republicans supporting his cause but with reservations.
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Wikipedia