Luis G. Fortuño
Representing The People of Puerto Rico in the United States Congress
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Congressman Luis Fortuño's Official Biography
Congressman Fortuno Sworn in to the 109th Congress
Fortuño Committee Assignments

  • Subcommittee on Coast Guard
    and Maritime Transportation

  • Subcommittee on Water Resources
    and Environment
  • Subcommittee on National Parks,
    Recreation and Public Lands
  • Subcommittee on Fisheries,
    Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans
  • Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness
  • Subcommittee on Select Education

Congressman Fortuño was sworn in to his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, as the first Republican elected to Congress representing Puerto Rico, on January 4, 2005. After he took the oath of office, he was assigned to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Education and the Workforce, and Resources. He became the first Representative from Puerto Rico ever to serve on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Upon the commencement of the 109th Congress, Fortuño was elected by his colleagues to serve as Vice-President of the House Republican Freshman Class. He was also elected to serve as Vice-Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Conference.

Before coming to Congress, Fortuño was a partner at a San Juan law firm since 1998 specializing in corporate finance, real estate and general corporate counseling. Having practiced law since 1985, he entered public service in 1993 after being appointed by the Governor as Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and President of the Hotel Development Corporation. He became Puerto Rico's first Secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce the following year. As such, Fortuño served on numerous government boards of directors, including the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico.

As Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce, Mr. Fortuño was tasked with the development and implementation of large-scale reforms of Puerto Rico's tax, labor, corporate and commercial codes, aimed at facilitating business growth and job creation, reducing bureaucracy, and providing tax justice for all. Some of these initiatives included the adoption of the Uniform Commercial Code, the revamping of the General Corporations Law, an aggressive investment package to jumpstart the tourism industry, and the largest tax cut in Puerto Rico's history. At the time of Fortuño's departure from public service, Puerto Rico's unemployment rate had reached its lowest level in over a generation.

Fortuño was named 1996 Man of the Year by the Caribbean Business, 1995 Public Servant of the Year by the Marketing Industry and Distribution of Food and Beverage Products Association of Puerto Rico, 1994 Public Servant of the Year by the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce, and 1994 Distinguished Executive by the Sales and Marketing Executives Association of Ponce and the Southern Region of Puerto Rico. He served on numerous boards of directors, including: the Ana G. Méndez University System and the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico. He is a member of the American Law Institute and the Urban Land Institute.

Fortuño was recently re-elected by the Republican Party of Puerto Rico's General Assembly to continue serving as National Committeeman, a position he has held since 2001. In 1996, he served on the Platform Committee at the Republican National Convention, where he participated as a member of the Platform Committee and was successful in including the support for self-determination and eventual statehood for Puerto Rico in the Party Platform.

Born in 1960, Fortuño was raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He earned a bachelor's degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and obtained his Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Virginia Law School. He is married to attorney Lucé Vela and has three children.

Read Bills I've Sponsored and Cosponsored in Congress

 

 
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