A survey by George Washington University concluded that 40% of Puerto Rico residents are experiencing food insecurity. By contrast, only about 10% of households in the United States as a whole are food insecure, according to the USDA. Factors contributing to food insecurity in Puerto Rico: While food insecurity levels in the States did not… Read more »
Rhode Island Senators Jack Reed (D) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D) have both signed on as cosponsors of the Puerto Rico Statehood Admissions Act (S. 780). S. 780 Following the November 2020 vote in favor of statehood for Puerto Rico, S. 780 recognizes the results and calls for Puerto Rico’s admission to the Union as a… Read more »
Puerto Rico, in spite of being blessed with a long growing season and significant arable land, imports 85% of the food needed to feed its residents and employs only about 2% of its workers in agriculture. Much of the land that could be farmed is not in production. Experts estimate that less than 5% of… Read more »
Judge Gustavo Gelpí, currently the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, has been nominated to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Gelpi is from Puerto Rico. President Biden proposed Gelpi’s appointment in May to fill the position vacated upon the death… Read more »
An organization calling itself the Puerto Rican Action Movement (MAP, from El Movimiento de Acción Puertorriqueña) has proposed a compact of free association (COFA) with the United States. According to El Nuevo Dia, their proposal features three principles: Full self-government for Puerto Rico, with a financial assistance agreement including funding from federal programs, grants, and… Read more »
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th to October 15th each year. It is an opportunity for classrooms across the United States to honor the contributions of the Latino community. Yet, even though Puerto Ricans make up the second largest group of Hispanic Americans in the United States, Puerto Rico is often ignored in classrooms… Read more »
The Biden Administration’s Build Back Better plan is an ambitious effort to address climate and economic concerns. The House Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Veterans’ Affairs, and Judiciary Committees all completed consideration of their sections of the bill last week, preparing the bills for floor consideration. The links will take you to the videos… Read more »
Bananas have been a threatened crop for years. Wired Magazine went so far as to say that the familiar yellow banana “will soon be gone.” Americans eat about 26 pounds of bananas per person per year, and bananas are a bellwether for pricing — that is, most of us know how much bananas cost. If… Read more »
If Puerto Rico becomes a State, residents will be eligible for SNAP (the food stamps program) just as residents of States are. In the meantime, however, U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico have limited benefits for nutrition assistance. Not only are the amounts provided to families much lower in Puerto Rico than in any State,… Read more »
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced a resolution in the Senate celebrating the 500th anniversary of the founding of Puerto Rico’s capital city, San Juan, while Congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon has introduced a companion bill in the House. Cosponsors include Reps Nydia Velazquez ([D-NY), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Carlos Gimenez… Read more »
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