Eduardo Bhatia
Encyclopedia
Eduardo Bhatia Gautier is a Puerto Rican
politician
and Senator. He is the current Minority Whip in the Senate of Puerto Rico
for the Popular Democratic Party
. Bhatia is also a former Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration
, the Washington DC office of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and officially represented the Governor in the United States on issues important to Puerto Rico.
, El Salvador
, on May 16, 1964. Bhatia’s father, the economist and retired professor Mohinder Bhatia, came to Puerto Rico in 1957 as an assistant to a Syracuse University
professor who had been in India on a one-year sabbatical. He remained in Puerto Rico and married Carmen Gautier in 1960, a political science professor at the University of Puerto Rico
. Eduardo Bhatia is one of three siblings. His brother, Andrés Bhatia, is a practicing oncologist in Gainesville, Florida
, and his sister, Lisa Bhatia, is an assistant U.S. attorney at the San Juan District office of the U.S. Attorney. He is also a member of the Phi Sigma Alpha
fraternity.
Bhatia attended Princeton University
and the London School of Economics
, obtaining his Bachelor's degree
in Government and Public Policy from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
in 1986. During Bhatia's university years, he was a member of the Princeton Democratic Students Association and the Student Council, actively participating in the student movement against Apartheid in South Africa. In May 1986, Bhatia was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study law, economics and politics in Santiago, Chile
for one year.
Bhatia graduated from Stanford Law School
in June 1990 where he founded and edited the "Stanford Journal of Law and Policy", an academic publication with an emphasis on the development of new laws and public policy. As part of his community work as a law student in Stanford, Bhatia also successfully directed a campaign to prevent the approval of a rent increase in the low-income East Palo Alto community. He is admitted to practice law in Florida, Washington D.C. and The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
in Boston, Massachussets. From 1991 to 1992, he was the Chief of Staff
for Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
Jaime Fuster
in Washington, DC. From 1993 to 1995, Bhatia worked as a lawyer for the San Juan-based law firm McConnell Valdés.
, becoming the youngest Puerto Rican senator in that four year term and one of the youngest in the history of the Senate of Puerto Rico. As member of numerous Senatorial committees and spokesperson for his party, his efforts were focused toward increasing employment and educational opportunities for Puerto Rico's youth. He also sought consensus, joining PNP senators in co-sponsoring legislation. An example was the introduction of a bill with Sen. Kenneth McClintock
to improve financial education in public schools, which was vetoed by Gov. Pedro Rosselló
. A renowned political analyst acknowledged his hard work by calling Mr. Bhatia "Puerto Rico's top senator."
. However, he was defeated by less than 4,000 votes. After that, Bhatia worked as a lawyer in private practice and as a professor at the University of Puerto Rico
, School of Law in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. During this time Bhatia was also involved in community work.
in Washington, DC. As such, Bhatia represented the Governor on matters before state and federal agencies as well as before Congress
and the Executive branch. He managed PRFAA's staff in the areas of Government Affairs, Federal Grants, Communications, Outreach and Public Affairs and Community Affairs, to carry out the agency's mission of advancing the well-being of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and of Puerto Ricans in the United States.
As the Governor's Official Representative in the United States, he worked in education, health and environmental issues. He had also been working in special projects that will help increase economic growth in Puerto Rico's rural areas.
Bhatia resigned to the position on February 15, 2008 to run again for Senator. He was succeeded by attorney Flavio Cumpiano
.
primary on March 9, 2008 becoming the second most voted person of all the pre-candidates for Senate. At the 2008 general elections
, Bhatia won one of only five Senate seats obtained by his party. After the elections, the PPD Senate caucus reelected Senator José Luis Dalmau
for a third term as PDP Floor Leader and elected Bhatia as Minority Whip.
attorney Isabel Cristina Fernández.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and Senator. He is the current Minority Whip in the Senate of Puerto Rico
Senate of Puerto Rico
The Senate of Puerto Rico is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate is composed of 27 senators, representing eight constituent senatorial districts across the commonwealth, with two senators elected per district; an...
for the Popular Democratic Party
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
. Bhatia is also a former Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration
Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration
The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration represents the Government of Puerto Rico before federal, state, and local governments, promotes the Governor of Puerto Rico's economic and public policy initiatives to achieve a better quality of life for the four million U.S...
, the Washington DC office of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and officially represented the Governor in the United States on issues important to Puerto Rico.
Early life and education
Eduardo Bhatia Gautier was born in San SalvadorSan Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, on May 16, 1964. Bhatia’s father, the economist and retired professor Mohinder Bhatia, came to Puerto Rico in 1957 as an assistant to a Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
professor who had been in India on a one-year sabbatical. He remained in Puerto Rico and married Carmen Gautier in 1960, a political science professor at the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
. Eduardo Bhatia is one of three siblings. His brother, Andrés Bhatia, is a practicing oncologist in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, and his sister, Lisa Bhatia, is an assistant U.S. attorney at the San Juan District office of the U.S. Attorney. He is also a member of the Phi Sigma Alpha
Phi Sigma Alpha
Phi Sigma Alpha Fraternity commonly known as La Sigma, is a Puerto Rican fraternity established originally as the Sigma Delta Alpha Fraternity on October 22, 1928 at the University of Puerto Rico by 12 students and a professor...
fraternity.
Bhatia attended Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, obtaining his Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Government and Public Policy from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs is a professional public policy school at Princeton University. The school has granted undergraduate A.B. degrees since 1930 and graduate degrees since 1948...
in 1986. During Bhatia's university years, he was a member of the Princeton Democratic Students Association and the Student Council, actively participating in the student movement against Apartheid in South Africa. In May 1986, Bhatia was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study law, economics and politics in Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
for one year.
Bhatia graduated from Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law...
in June 1990 where he founded and edited the "Stanford Journal of Law and Policy", an academic publication with an emphasis on the development of new laws and public policy. As part of his community work as a law student in Stanford, Bhatia also successfully directed a campaign to prevent the approval of a rent increase in the low-income East Palo Alto community. He is admitted to practice law in Florida, Washington D.C. and The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Professional career
After graduating, Bhatia worked for a year as a Judicial Officer for Judge Levin H. Campbell, at the United States Court of Appeals for the First CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Maine* District of Massachusetts...
in Boston, Massachussets. From 1991 to 1992, he was the Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
for Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives elected by the voters of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico every four years...
Jaime Fuster
Jaime Fuster
Jaime B. Fuster Berlingeri was a politician who served as an Associate Justice to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico...
in Washington, DC. From 1993 to 1995, Bhatia worked as a lawyer for the San Juan-based law firm McConnell Valdés.
First term as Senator: 1996-2000
In 1996, at the age of 32, Bhatia was elected Senator at Large by the Popular Democratic PartyPopular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
, becoming the youngest Puerto Rican senator in that four year term and one of the youngest in the history of the Senate of Puerto Rico. As member of numerous Senatorial committees and spokesperson for his party, his efforts were focused toward increasing employment and educational opportunities for Puerto Rico's youth. He also sought consensus, joining PNP senators in co-sponsoring legislation. An example was the introduction of a bill with Sen. Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
to improve financial education in public schools, which was vetoed by Gov. Pedro Rosselló
Pedro Rosselló
Pedro Juan Rosselló González, M.D., , is a Puerto Rican physician and politician who served as the sixth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001...
. A renowned political analyst acknowledged his hard work by calling Mr. Bhatia "Puerto Rico's top senator."
Campaign for mayor of San Juan: 2000-2003
In 2000, ran for mayor of San Juan against incumben Jorge SantiniJorge Santini
Jorge Santini Padilla in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is an Puerto Rican Politician and current Mayor of San Juan City.-Biography:...
. However, he was defeated by less than 4,000 votes. After that, Bhatia worked as a lawyer in private practice and as a professor at the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
, School of Law in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. During this time Bhatia was also involved in community work.
Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration: 2005-2008
In January 2005, Governor Aníbal Acevedo-Vilá appointed Bhatia as Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs AdministrationPuerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration
The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration represents the Government of Puerto Rico before federal, state, and local governments, promotes the Governor of Puerto Rico's economic and public policy initiatives to achieve a better quality of life for the four million U.S...
in Washington, DC. As such, Bhatia represented the Governor on matters before state and federal agencies as well as before Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and the Executive branch. He managed PRFAA's staff in the areas of Government Affairs, Federal Grants, Communications, Outreach and Public Affairs and Community Affairs, to carry out the agency's mission of advancing the well-being of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and of Puerto Ricans in the United States.
As the Governor's Official Representative in the United States, he worked in education, health and environmental issues. He had also been working in special projects that will help increase economic growth in Puerto Rico's rural areas.
Bhatia resigned to the position on February 15, 2008 to run again for Senator. He was succeeded by attorney Flavio Cumpiano
Flavio Cumpiano
Flavio Cumpiano is the Congressional Liaison at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau . He was previously the Staff Director and Counsel of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit in the U.S...
.
Second term as Senator: 2008-present
Bhatia was elected as an official Senate candidate in the PDPPopular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
primary on March 9, 2008 becoming the second most voted person of all the pre-candidates for Senate. At the 2008 general elections
Puerto Rican general election, 2008
The Puerto Rico general election of 2008, held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 was the most recent election to select the Governor of Puerto Rico.The election was won by Luis G...
, Bhatia won one of only five Senate seats obtained by his party. After the elections, the PPD Senate caucus reelected Senator José Luis Dalmau
José Luis Dalmau
José Luis Dalmau Santiago is a Puerto Rican politician and Senator. He is the current Minority Leader for the Popular Democratic Party on the Senate of Puerto Rico.-Public office:...
for a third term as PDP Floor Leader and elected Bhatia as Minority Whip.
Personal life
Eduardo Bhatia is married to PanamanianPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
attorney Isabel Cristina Fernández.
Sources
The San Juan Star, Nov. 5, 2007, Column by Dr. M. Bhatia on Sens. Bhatia and McClintock's financial education bill (The San Juan Star is not published online)External links
- Bhatia2008 Official website