resident commissioner

noun

1. a representative from a dependency, as Guam or Puerto Rico, who is entitled to speak, but not to vote, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

resident commissioner

noun

1. the representative of Puerto Rico in the US House of Representatives. He or she may speak but has no vote

Word History and Origins

Origin of resident commissioner¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

The statistics don’t include those delegates and the resident commissioner for Puerto Rico, who cannot vote on the final passing of bills but are members of Congress.

From Seattle Times

Jenniffer González-Colón, the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico and its lone representative in Congress, backed a compromise measure among competing plans.

From New York Times

Puerto Rico is represented by a non-voting resident commissioner who is elected every four years.

From Seattle Times

Puerto Rico has a resident commissioner who is elected every four years.

From Washington Times

Since then, nearly 400 women have served as U.S. representatives, delegates, resident commissioners or senators,

From Seattle Times