The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit decided last year that residents of Puerto Rico should be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) just as residents of the 50 States are. But SSI benefits are not yet flowing to Puerto Ricans. The Trump administration filed an appeal, and the Supreme Court recently… Read more »
In a press conference on March 2nd, Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) and Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR) announced the introduction of a new admissions bill for Puerto Rico. “Our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico have again declared their desire for statehood, and Congress must follow suit. Today, along with Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, I’m proud to introduce… Read more »
Miguel Cardona has been confirmed as the United States Secretary of Education. Cardona, was born in Meriden, Connecticut, and grew up in a housing project there. His parents came to Connecticut from Puerto Rico as children, and his grandfather was a tobacco farmer. He stayed in his home community and became an elementary school teacher and… Read more »
Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon spoke in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 25th in honor of Colonel Angel Flores-Vellido, a native Puerto Rican who died last week. “For over a hundred years, the soldiers from Puerto Rico have proved themselves second to none in battle, side by side with their comrades from… Read more »
A group of Senators and Members of the House sent a letter to Deanne Criswell and Robert Fentor of FEMA, urging FEMA to make sure that $9.6 billion in FEMA funding be spent on renewable energy by PREPA, Puerto Rico’s electrical utility. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Chair… Read more »
Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi declared In a recent interview that Congress has a responsibility to settle Puerto Rico’s status. He also said that he knows a new admissions bill for Puerto Rico will be introduced in Congress, perhaps within the next month. Senator Richard Blumenthal(D-CT) appears to have listened to the Governor of Puerto… Read more »
Manufacturing jobs in Puerto Rico have been on the decline since the beginning of the 21st century. The chart below, from Federal Reserve Economic Data, shows the slide from 1994 to 2018. The nadir was in 2017, after Hurricane Maria’s devastation of the Island. You can see a bit of an uptick as 2019 begins…. Read more »
The new COVID-19 relief bill being debated in Congress this week includes support for the Earned Income Tax Credit in Puerto Rico. The Earned Income Tax Credit The Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, is a credit on income tax that is designed to encourage low-income people to work. It provides an annual tax credit… Read more »
The latest COVID-19 relief bill continues to make its way through Congress. The proposal is expected to be signed into law by President Biden by mid-March. Among the many provisions in the bill is a change in tax credits for Puerto Rico. If the bill passes, Island residents will be eligible for the Earned Income… Read more »
The Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing last week called, “Road to Recovery: Ramping Up COVID-19 Vaccines, Testing, and Medical Supply Chain.” The opening statement from Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) pointed out the problems in the U.S. medical supply chain that have come to light during the pandemic…. Read more »
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