Congressman José E. Serrano Congressman José E. Serrano
Representing the People of the 16th District of New York

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U.S. Congressman José E. Serrano ~ Representing the people of the 16th District of New York

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U.S. Representative José E. Serrano represents the Sixteenth Congressional District of New York in the Bronx . He is the only Congressman from New York City on the exclusive House Appropriations Committee and serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government . This prestigious chairmanship allows Congressman Serrano to lead the subcommittee, which oversees the budgets of multiple agencies, including the Treasury Department including the IRS; the FDIC; the District of Columbia; the Judicial branch, and other agencies. Congressman Serrano is also Senior Whip for the Majority Whip operation, a position through which he helps develop strategies to marshal support for party positions and legislation. He is an active member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and served as Chair of the Caucus from 1993-94. He is now the most senior Member of Congress of Puerto Rican descent.

Born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico , on October 24, 1943 , Serrano moved to the Bronx with his family when he was a young boy. He grew up in Mill Brook housing project in the South Bronx and attended local public schools. From 1964-66, Serrano served in the 172nd Support Battalion of the U.S. Army Medical Corps. After an honorable discharge from the Army, he returned to the Bronx and worked in a bank and as a school administrator before his election to the New York State Assembly in 1974.

In Albany , Assemblyman Serrano chaired the Committee on Education for eight years, during which he authored legislation that doubled state funding for bilingual education programs and provided $50 million in funding for New York City to combat its school drop-out crisis. He also served as Chairman of the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection.

First elected to Congress in 1990, Congressman Serrano has been reelected ever since. By the end of his current term, he will be the longest-serving public official in Bronx history.

Upon his election, Serrano quickly established a legislative record that reflected his core political values of equal opportunity and fair treatment for all Americans. He believes that government should work to ensure that the prosperity of our country be shared by the neediest and most vulnerable members of our society- the poor, the elderly, the disabled, and our children- in the form of expanded access to government, educational opportunities, environmental justice, access to housing, and affordable health care. In Congress, he has authored successful bills that provide funding for successful school drop-out prevention programs, mandate that voter materials continue to be provided in different languages, and provide posthumous citizenship to victims of the September 11 th attacks.

As an appropriator, Serrano has managed to secure millions of dollars in federal funding for his Bronx Congressional District. He has directed funding to countless local initiatives, including environmental projects, particularly the restoration of the Bronx River and combating local air pollution, improvements to Bronx parks, educational programs for disadvantaged students and displaced workers and funding for various local charitable organizations, whose goals range from providing access to the arts to the development of small businesses.

Serrano has also fought to increase the study of foreign languages, prioritized the protection of civil liberties in the wake of the Patriot Act, pushed for the repeal of the embargo against Cuba, advocated self-determination for Puerto Rico and justice for the residents of Vieques island, advocated for a more humane immigration policy, pushed to provide screenings for military personnel exposed to depleted uranium, and is fighting to provide greater tax breaks for the use of clean fuel vehicles. José Serrano has developed a strong reputation for standing up for social and environmental justice.


WASHINGTON OFFICE
2227 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3216
(202) 225-4361
Fax: (202) 225-6001
BRONX OFFICE
1231 Lafayette Ave, 4th Floor
Bronx, NY, 10474
(718) 620-0084
Fax: (718) 620-0658

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Contact Info
WASHINGTON OFFICE
2227 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3216
(202) 225-4361
Fax: (202) 225-6001
BRONX OFFICE 
1231 Lafayette Ave, 4th Floor
Bronx, NY, 10474
(718) 620-0084
Fax: (718) 620-0658
Contact Info

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Congressman José E. Serrano
Congressman José E. Serrano Congressman José E. Serrano