On July 20, The House Natural Resources Committee passed HR 8393, The Puerto Rico Status Act, and sent it to the full House of Representatives for further consideration. A number of amendments were proposed, but none were passed. One of the amendments, introduced by Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), asked to strike the U.S. citizenship transition… Read more »

Although The Puerto Rico Status Act (HR 8393), was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee two weeks ago, the vote was not unanimous. Support for the bill was bipartisan, but so was the opposition. The criticism against the bill mainly focused on the process – notably the relatively short amount of time the committee… Read more »

On Wednesday, July 20, the House Natural Resources Committee approved The Puerto Rico Status Act and forwarded the bill for consideration by the full U.S. House of Representatives. The proposal, reflecting months of collaboration among the congressional leaders of Puerto Rico related issues in the House of Representatives, provides a process for the people of… Read more »

One of the most critical questions inherent in the debate over Puerto Rico’s future political status is the the fate of U.S. citizenship for people born in Puerto Rico. While some supporters of independence may accept the loss of U.S. citizenship, most Puerto Ricans cherish their U.S. citizenship. Although statehood would provide permanent U.S. citizenship… Read more »

Telecommunications — the ability to use phone or internet for communication — was a major challenge in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. A 2021 article in the Journal of Critical Infrastructure Policy bluntly stated that “The hurricanes revealed the fragility of Puerto Rico’s telecommunications infrastructure, which failed, leaving the majority of Puerto Rican citizens without a… Read more »

A 1990 paper by John L. A. de Passalacqua, “The Involuntary Loss of United States Citizenship of Puerto Ricans upon Accession to Independence by Puerto Rico”, brings up an enduring question that is once again in the spotlight:  whether Congress could take away U.S. citizenship from people living in Puerto Rico if the territory were… Read more »

Governor Pierluisi signed a new law on workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities on June 20, 2022. House Bill 1244 makes a number of changes to the 2017 Employment Law Reform. The PROMESA Fiscal Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) has communicated to the governor that it objects to the law, and a federal court has recently… Read more »

The Senate Finance Committee has issued a report claiming that pharmaceutical company AbbVie is deceitfully sheltering income through Puerto Rico. The Report is titled, “Interim Report: Big Pharma Tax Avoidance” with the subtitle, “Senate Finance Committee Investigation Reveals Extent to Which Pharma Giant AbbVie Exploits Offshore Subsidiaries to Avoid Paying Taxes on U.S. Drug Sales”…. Read more »