Coamo is a municipality founded 1579 in the south-central region of Puerto Rico (U.S.), located north of Santa Isabel; south of Orocovis and Barranquitas; east of Villalba and Juana Díaz; and west of Aibonito and Salinas. Coamo is spread over 10 wards and Coamo Pueblo – the downtown area and the administrative center of the city. It is both a principal city of the Coamo Micropolitan Statistical Area and the Ponce-Yauco-Coamo Combined Statistical Area.
Diego de Torres Vargas (1590–1649), a priest, was the first person to write a book about the history of Puerto Rico.
The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the bicameral territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The House, together with the Senate, control the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico.
The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico is the territorial legislature of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, responsible for the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico. The Assembly is a bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house, the Senate normally composed by 27 senators, and the lower house, the House of Representatives normally composed by 51 representatives. Eleven members of each house are elected at-large rather than from a specific legislative district with all members being elected for a four-year term without term limits.
The coat of arms of Puerto Rico was first granted by the Spanish Crown in 1511, making it the oldest heraldic achievement still currently in use in the Americas. The territory was ceded by Spain to the United States in accordance to the peace treaty that ended the Spanish–American War in 1899, after which two interim arms were adopted briefly. A law was passed in 1905 that re-established the historical armorial bearings as the arms of the territory; after numerous investigations and amendments, the current version was adopted in 1976.
The Sergeant at Arms of the Senate or originally known as the Doorkeeper of the Senate from the First Congress until the Eighth Congress is the highest-ranking federal law enforcement officer in the Senate of the United States. One of the chief roles of the sergeant at arms is to hold the gavel used at every session. The sergeant at arms can also compel the attendance of an absent senator when ordered to do so by the Senate.
Puerto Ricans have served as members of the United States Armed Forces and have fought in every major conflict in which the United States has been involved from World War I onward. Many Puerto Ricans, including those of Puerto Rican descent, have distinguished themselves during combat as members of the five branches of the U.S. Military, the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and the Coast Guard.
The Attending Physician of the United States Congress is the physician responsible for the medical welfare of the members of the United States Congress and the nine justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.
The President of the Senate of Puerto Rico is the highest-ranking officer and the presiding officer of the Senate of Puerto Rico. The president has voting powers as it is elected amongst the own members of the Senate as established by Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico. The Constitution, however, does not establish its functions and since the Senate is the only body authorized by the Constitution to regulate its own internal affairs, the functions of the president vary from session to session—save being called "President" as the Constitution establishes. The president is typically elected during the Senate's inaugural session.
Gilberto Gierbolini-Ortiz was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.
Lawrence N. "Larry" Seilhamer Rodríguez is a Puerto Rican politician and member of the Senate of Puerto Rico since January 7, 2009. He is affiliated with the pro-statehood New Progressive Party (PNP). Seilhamer is also a former basketball player for the Baloncesto Superior Nacional from 1972 to 1984.
The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "The Borinqueneers" from the original Taíno name of the island (Borinquen), is a Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army. The regiment's motto is Honor et Fidelitas, Latin for Honor and Fidelity. The Army Appropriation Bill created by an act of Congress on March 2, 1898, authorized the creation of the first body of native troops in Puerto Rico. On June 30, 1901, the "Porto Rico Provisional Regiment of Infantry" was organized. On July 1, 1908, Congress incorporated the regiment into the Regular Army as the Puerto Rico Regiment of Infantry, United States Army. On May 14, 1917, the Regiment was activated and additional men were assigned, with the unit being sent to serve at Panama. On June 4, 1920, the Regiment was renamed 65th Infantry. During World War II, the Regiment saw action throughout Europe, especially France and Germany, participating in Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno and Rhin. Several Purple Hearts were handed posthumously to members of the 65th Regiment.
The First Puerto Rican Senate was the first meeting of senators of the Senate of Puerto Rico elected as part of the legislative branch of their government. Elections for the Senate of Puerto Rico were authorized by passage of the Jones-Shafroth Act in 1917. It authorized elections to be held on July 6, 1917 for representative government in the legislature.
Aníbal Meléndez Rivera is a Puerto Rican politician and current mayor of Fajardo.
The President of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico —commonly called the Speaker of the House — is the highest-ranking officer and the presiding officer of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. The Speaker has voting powers as it is elected amongst the own members of the House as established by Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico. The Constitution, however, does not establish its functions and since the House is the only body authorized by the Constitution to regulate its own internal affairs, the functions of the Speaker vary from session to session—save being called "Speaker" as the Constitution establishes. The Speaker is typically elected during the House inaugural session.
The Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the Sergeant-at-Arms and the non-voting chief law enforcement officer of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico responsible of maintaining order and security on the House premises.
William "Billy" Sánchez Tosado is a former Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate of Puerto Rico. Sánchez has served in the position since January 2009. Before that, he served as Director of the Office of Public Housing.
The 2013 Puerto Rico teachers protest is an ongoing protest staged by the teachers of Puerto Rico's public school system which began on December 19, 2013. During the protest, teachers from the Puerto Rico Teachers Federation took over the floor of the Senate of Puerto Rico with the intention of halting an extraordinary session called by Governor Alejandro García Padilla. Padilla was going to order a reform of the Puerto Rico Teachers Pension System. The Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate of Puerto Rico stated he could not guarantee the safety of those in the hemicycle of the Capitol of Puerto Rico that houses the Senate. Both the Governor and the President of the Senate of Puerto Rico, Eduardo Bhatia, asked the Puerto Rico Joint Forces of Rapid Action (FURA) and the Puerto Rico Police to not intervene nor attempt to remove the protesters.
