Eduardo Bhatia

In thisSpanish name,the first or paternalsurnameisBhatiaand the second or maternal family name isGautier.

Eduardo Bhatia
Minority Leader of the Puerto Rico Senate
In office January 2, 2017 – January 2, 2021
Preceded by	Larry Seilhamer
Succeeded by	Thomas Rivera Schatz
15thPresident of the Puerto Rico Senate
In office January 14, 2013 – January 2, 2017
Preceded by	Thomas Rivera Schatz
Succeeded by	Thomas Rivera Schatz
Minority Whip of the Puerto Rico Senate
In office January 12, 2009 – January 14, 2013
Preceded by	Sila María González
Succeeded by	Carmelo Ríos Santiago
Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration
In office 2005–2008
Governor	Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Preceded by	Mari Carmen Aponte
Succeeded by	Flavio Cumpiano
Personal details
Born	Eduardo Bhatia Gautier (1964-05-16)May 16, 1964 San Salvador,El Salvador
Political party	Popular Democratic
Other political affiliations	Democratic
Spouse	Isabel Fernández
Education	Princeton University(BA) Stanford Law School(JD)

Eduardo Bhatia Gautier(born May 16, 1964) is a Puerto Rican attorney and politician. Bhatia is a former15th President of the Senate of Puerto Ricoand executive director of thePuerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration.

Early life and education

Eduardo Bhatia was born inSan Salvador,El Salvadoron May 16, 1964.Bhatia's father, the economist and retired professor Mohinder Bhatia, came to Puerto Rico in 1957 as an assistant to aSyracuse Universityprofessor who had been in India on a one-year sabbatical. He remained in Puerto Rico and married Carmen Gautier Mayoralin 1961, a political science professor at theUniversity of Puerto Ricoand niece-in-law ofFelisa Rincón de Gautier.Eduardo Bhatia is one of three siblings. His brother, Andrés Bhatia, is a practicingoncologistinGainesville, Florida,and his sister, Lisa Bhatia, is an assistant U.S. attorney at the San Juan District office of the U.S. Attorney.

Bhatia Toledo did his secondary studies atColegio San José.Graduated with an A.B. from thePrinceton School of Public and International Affairsin 1986 after completing a 132-page-long senior thesis titled "New Roads for Old Objectives: TheCompact of Free Associationwith theMicronesian Islandsand its Applicability to the Future of thePuerto Rico- United States Relationship. "

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 againstApartheidin South Africa. In May 1986, Bhatia was awarded aFulbright scholarshipto study law, economics and politics inSantiago, Chile,for one year.Around this time he became a member ofPhi Sigma Alphafraternity.

Bhatia graduated fromStanford Law Schoolin June 1990, where he founded and edited theStanford 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 directed a campaign to prevent the approval of a rent increase in the low-incomeEast Palo Altocommunity. He is admitted to practice law in Florida, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

Professional career

After graduating, Bhatia worked for a year as a judicial officer for JudgeLevin H. Campbell,at theUnited States Court of Appeals for the First CircuitinBoston, Massachusetts.From 1991 to 1992, he was theChief of StaffforResident Commissioner of Puerto RicoJaime FusterinWashington, D.C.From 1993 to 1995, Bhatia worked as a lawyer for the San Juan-based law firmMcConnell Valdés.

Political career

First term as Senator: 1996–2000

In 1996, at the age of 32, Bhatia was elected Senator at Large by thePopular Democratic Party,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 McClintockto improve financial education in public schools, which was vetoed by Gov.Pedro Rosselló.A 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 formayor of San JuanagainstNew Progressive PartycandidateJorge Santini.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 theUniversity of Puerto Rico,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, GovernorAníbal Acevedo Viláappointed Bhatia as Executive Director of thePuerto Rico Federal Affairs AdministrationinWashington, D.C.As such, Bhatia represented the Governor on matters before state and federal agencies as well as beforeCongressand 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 attorneyFlavio Cumpiano.

Second term as Senator: 2008–2020

Bhatia was elected as an official Senate candidate in thePPD primaryon March 9, 2008, becoming the second most voted person of all the pre-candidates for Senate.At the2008 general elections,Bhatia won one of only five Senate seats obtained by his party.After the elections, the PPD Senate caucus reelected SenatorJosé Luis Dalmaufor a third term as PDP Senate Leader and elected Bhatia asMinority Whip.

Bhatia presented his candidacy for reelection in 2012. At theprimariesthat year, he was the candidate with most votes, securing his spot for thegeneral elections.During the elections, Bhatia was thePPDcandidate to the Senate with most votes, and the second overall. After the win, Senator Eduardo Bhatia was elected among his peers as the 15th President of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Bhatia was reelected once more in the2016 General Election.However, his party lost the majority in the Senate and he was succeeded byThomas Rivera Schatzas thePresident of the Senate of Puerto Rico.

Tenure as Senate President

During his tenure as Senate President, Bhatia was selected as Chair of the Council of State Governments of the Eastern Regional Conference (CSG-ERC) and later elected as President of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, by 72% of the vote, becoming the first Senate President and the first Puerto Rican, resident of the island to preside over the organization. He also seats in the board of the Council of State Government (CSG), National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) and the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA). During his tenure, he has authored Puerto Rico's Energy Reform law and has tackled education reform legislation.

Personal life

Bhatia is married toPanamanianattorney Isabel Cristina Fernández.His mother, Carmen, was a Puerto Rican while his father, Mohinder, was ofPunjabiSikhheritage hailing fromMirpur(in today's Pakistan) who migrated to India in 1947.