José E. Serrano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José E. Serrano
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York |
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| In office March 21, 1990 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Garcia |
| Succeeded by | Ritchie Torres |
| Constituency | 18th district (1990–1993) 16th district (1993–2013) 15th district (2013–2021) |
| Member of the New York Assembly | |
| In office January 1, 1975 – March 21, 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Eugenio Alvarez |
| Succeeded by | David Rosado |
| Constituency | 75th district (1975–1982) 73rd district (1983–1990) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
José Enrique Serrano
October 24, 1943 Mayagüez, Puerto Rico |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 5, including José |
| Education | Lehman College (dropped out) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1964–1966 |
| Unit | 172nd Support Battalion |
José Enrique Serrano (born October 24, 1943) is an American politician. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1990 until 2021. Serrano is a Democrat from New York.
He represented a district in the South Bronx area of New York City. This district was one of the smallest in the country by size. It was also one of the most crowded and had many Hispanic residents. He was the longest-serving Hispanic-American in the House of Representatives. He retired in 2021 because he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Ritchie Torres was elected to take his place.
Contents
Early Life and Education
José Serrano was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. When he was seven years old, his family moved to The Bronx in New York City. He grew up there in the Millbrook Houses.
Serrano went to Grace Dodge Vocational High School in the Bronx. He also briefly attended Lehman College in 1961. From 1964 to 1966, he served in the United States Army Medical Corps. After his military service, he worked at Manufacturers Hanover Bank. He also served on a local school board in New York City from 1969 to 1974.
New York State Assembly
Before joining the U.S. House of Representatives, Serrano was a member of the New York State Assembly. This is a group of lawmakers who make laws for New York State. He served in the Assembly from 1975 to 1990.
During his time there, he led important committees. He was Chairman of the Committee on Consumer Affairs from 1979 to 1983. Then, he became Chairman of the Committee on Education from 1983 to 1990.
U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a Representative
In 1990, José Serrano won a special election to become a U.S. Congressman. A special election happens when a seat becomes empty before the regular election. He won with a very high percentage of votes. He continued to win re-election easily in his district, which was considered a very safe seat for his party.
Key Actions and Beliefs
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Serrano was known as a very progressive member of Congress. This means he supported policies that aim to improve society and help people, especially those in need.
He was a strong supporter of funding projects in his district. This is sometimes called "earmarking" or "pork barrel spending." It means setting aside money in government budgets for specific local projects. For example, he helped get $150,000 to fix the roof of the Arthur Avenue Market in the Bronx. When some people criticized this, Serrano explained that he was proud to bring money to one of the poorest areas in the country.
In 2005, Serrano was one of only three members of the House to vote for American troops to leave Iraq right away.
He also tried many times to change the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This amendment limits a president to serving only two terms. Serrano wanted to remove these limits, but his proposals never passed.
Protecting the Environment
Serrano cared a lot about local environmental issues in New York. He worked to create green spaces and clean up the Bronx River, which runs through his district. His efforts helped improve the river so much that a beaver was seen swimming in it for the first time in 200 years!
In 2007, he helped buy South Brother Island in New York harbor. This island was the last privately owned island there. It was bought to protect it forever as a safe place for rare birds.
Working on Government Spending
Serrano was an important member of the House Appropriations Committee. This committee decides how the government spends money. He was a top member of the Subcommittee on Financial Services, which handles money for banks and other financial parts of the government.
He helped make sure the "50 State Quarters" program continued. This program created special quarters for each U.S. state. Thanks to Serrano, six more quarters were made to honor Washington D.C. and five U.S. territories, including his home, Puerto Rico.
Advocacy and International Relations
Serrano also worked to get government files released about Puerto Rican political activists. He helped make nearly 100,000 pages of secret FBI files public in 2000.
He was also a critic of how the U.S. government handled relations with Hugo Chávez, who was the president of Venezuela. Serrano invited Chávez to speak in his district when Chávez was in New York. After Chávez passed away, Serrano shared his condolences, saying Chávez "understood the needs of the poor."
In 2019, Serrano and other lawmakers wrote a letter to the Secretary of State. They expressed concerns about the policies of Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro. They worried about how these policies might affect minority groups and others in Brazil.
Retirement
In March 2019, Serrano announced that he would not run for re-election in 2020. He shared that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Committee and Caucus Memberships
- Committee on Appropriations (This committee decides how the government spends money.)
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (He was the top-ranking member here.)
- Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus (A group of Hispanic members of Congress.)
- Congressional Progressive Caucus (A group of progressive members of Congress.)
- International Conservation Caucus (A group focused on protecting nature worldwide.)
- Congressional Arts Caucus (A group that supports the arts.)
- Afterschool Caucuses (A group that supports after-school programs for kids.)
Personal Life
José Serrano has five children. His son, José M. Serrano, is also a politician and is a member of the New York State Senate.
See also
In Spanish: José Serrano (político) para niños
