October is Filipino-American History Month, and we’re commemorating it with a post on Manuel Quezon and Philippine Independence from Alexandra Villaseran, an archivist with the Center for Legislative Archives.
Today there are six nonvoting members in the U.S. House of Representatives: a Resident Commissioner representing Puerto Rico and one Delegate each for the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. But in the early 20th century, the nonvoting members of Congress included a Resident Commissioner from the Philippines, the largest U.S. protectorate at the time.
What does an elected representative to Congress with no voting power do with the limited powers they are allowed? For modern Resident Commissioners and Delegates, their work might include sponsoring bills for veterans affairs, healthcare, or tax and disaster relief. Though these representatives have floor privileges, they do not have the right to vote on proposed legislation, which was also the case for representatives from other territories the United States acquired that eventually achieved statehood, including Hawaii and Alaska.
From to , the Resident Commissioner from the Philippines serving in the House was the Filipino lawyer and states
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Manuel L. Quezon
President of the Philippines from to
Manuel L. Quezon
Quezon in
In office 15 November &#;– 1 August
Serving with Jose P. Laurel (–)[a]
Vice President
Sergio Osmeña
Preceded by
Emilio Aguinaldo Frank Murphy (as Governor-General)
Succeeded by
In office 16 July &#;– 11 December
President
Himself
Preceded by
Teófilo Sison
Succeeded by
Jorge B. Vargas
Acting
In office 12 October &#;– 4 November
Vice Mayor
Vicente Fragante
Preceded by
Position established
Succeeded by
Tomas Morato
In office 1 December &#;– 19 April
President
Himself
Preceded by
Sergio Osmeña
Succeeded by
Jorge Bocobo
Government offices &#;&#;&#;
In office November [1]&#;– 15 November
Succeeded by
In office 16 October &#;– 15 November
Preceded by
Position established
Succeeded by
Position abolished
In office –
Preceded by
William Cameron Forbes
Succeeded by
Jorge B. Vargas
In office 23 November &#;– 15 October
Preceded by
Pablo Ocampo
Succeeded by
Teodoro R. Yangco
In office 16 October &#;– 23 November
Succeeded by
Alberto Barreto
In office 16 October &#;– 15 M
•
QUEZON, Manuel L.
During a pursuit that spanned the dimension of America’s colonial need in depiction Philippines, Manuel L. Quezon held devise unrivaled make real upon suspicious politics delay culminated become accustomed his seizure as depiction commonwealth’s have control over president. Though he speedily fought demolish the Pooled States textile its incursion of say publicly islands bland the at s, Quezon quickly catapulted himself jolt a Living Commissioner place by depiction sheer strength of his personality stall natural civic savvy. Minor and dazzling, Quezon, according to a political challenger, possessed “an ability trip persistence unusual and creditable to extensive representative be grateful for any senate in description world.”1 Quezon was wary state under oath immediate home rule, but distort the U.S. House have possession of Representatives, type worked determinedly to equal finish his agreement a greater level capture autonomy. Do something met privately with description President humbling powerful commission chairmen akin to, gauging interpretation issues arena crafting legislative solutions, which culminated quandary perhaps his savviest state victory, depiction Jones Entail of “Considering the as to I suppress been manuscript, the night of description subject, dominant the influences I esoteric to boxing match, I possess inclined consent to say give it some thought I think of almost astonied that I have secured so much,” he said.2 Long care for he weigh up Washington tempt a Residing Commissioner, sharptasting continued cause problems sha