José Aponte Hernández
José F. Aponte Hernández (born January 19, 1958) is an accountant and former Speaker of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. He was born in San Juan and obtained a bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras in 1980.
José F. Aponte Hernández | |
|---|---|
| Secretary General of the New Progressive Party | |
| In office 2013–2016 | |
| Preceded by | José Torres Zamora |
| Succeeded by | June Rivera |
| 28th Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives | |
| In office January 10, 2005 – January 1, 2009 | |
| Governor | Aníbal Acevedo Vilá |
| Preceded by | Carlos Vizcarrondo Irizarry |
| Succeeded by | Jenniffer González Colón |
| At-Large Member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Oscar Ramos Meléndez |
| Member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from the District 33 | |
| In office 2000 – January 1, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Néstor Aponte Hernández |
| Succeeded by | Ángel R. Peña Rosa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 19, 1958 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Spouse | Aida Rodríguez Roig |
| Alma mater | University of Puerto Rico (B.Acy) |
| Occupation | Accountant |
Personal life edit
Aponte is married to Aida I. Rodríguez Roig, and has two sons and one daughter. He currently resides in San Lorenzo. He was the New Progressive Party (PNP) General Secretary during the Rosselló administration. One of his older brothers, Néstor, is a state appellate judge, while another, Jorge, was the Director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Rosselló administration.
Career edit
He served as Secretary-General of the New Progressive Party from 1996 to 1997 (acting) and 1997 to 1999.[1]
Aponte was appointed to fill the vacancy left by his brother Néstor Aponte Hernández, as Representative from the 33rd District, after he resigned to become an Appellate Court Judge. Aponte was elected as Representative in the 2000 general elections, and was re-elected as an At-Large Representative in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 general elections.[2]
After the New Progressive Party elected 32 members of the 51-seat House of Representatives in the 2004 general elections, Aponte was elected the 28th Speaker of the House on January 10. He is also a member of the Puerto Rico Republican Party. He was defeated in his bid for re-election for Speaker by the new 37-member majority New Progressive Party caucus, which elected then Government Affairs Committee Chairwoman, Jenniffer A. González Colón.
Aponte has advocated for statehood supporting a project for statehood in 2010 and asking congress in 2016 to prioritise admitting Puerto Rico as a state .[3][4]
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Aponte spoke out against retailers who were operating game machines in their establishments, explaining that if the casinos were not allowed to operate during the pandemic neither should these smaller establishments.[5]
In February 2023, he pleaded for the annexation of Puerto Rico before the Congress of the United States of America.[1].
References edit
- ^ "Biografía - Hon. José F. Aponte Hernández". Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). from the original on 2021-01-10. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
- ^ "Perfil de representante José F. Aponte Hernández" [Profile of representative José F. Aponte Hernández]. Puerto Rico Decide 2016 - ENData (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-03-15.
- ^ "José Aponte satisfecho con Jenniffer por proyecto encaminado a plebiscito" [Jose Aponte satisfied with Jennifer for project for a plebiscite]. 22 February 2010. from the original on 2021-01-10. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
- ^ "Rep. Aponte Hernández Demands Action from U.S. Congress". Caribbean Business. 2016-01-09. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
- ^ "Representante exige a las autoridades cerrar negocios que operen máquinas de videojuego durante la pandemia". Primera Hora (in Spanish). 2020-08-30. from the original on 2021-01-10. Retrieved 2021-01-10.