Pou, Nellie

Nellie Pou was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives on January 3, 2025, making history as the first Latina from New Jersey elected to Congress. She represents New Jersey's 9th Congressional District, which encompasses 35 cities and towns. Born in Paterson on May 20, 1956, Pou brought decades of legislative experience to her new role, having served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1997 to 2011 and the New Jersey State Senate from 2012 to 2025, where she served as Majority Caucus Chair.

In the House, Pou holds key committee assignments reflecting her policy priorities. She serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as Vice Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, and also sits on the Highways and Transit and Water Resources and Environment subcommittees. She is also a member of the House Homeland Security Committee and its Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee. Her legislative work has focused on infrastructure, security, and economic opportunity for underserved communities.

Pou has sponsored several bills during her first term, including the Save the World Cup Act, which aims to protect World Cup attendees from immigration enforcement actions, and the CLEAN-UP Act addressing environmental concerns. She has also introduced the PLATE Act and the Modernizing and Improving the National Terrorism Advisory System Act of 2026. Her early work in Congress has emphasized addressing the high cost of living for New Jersey families and protecting federal security funding for the state.

Throughout her career, Pou has held significant leadership roles. She chaired the New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus and served as the first New Jersey legislator to become President of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators. Before entering electoral politics, she spent over 40 years in public service with the City of Paterson, serving as Director of Human Resources and Business Administrator.