The landmark federal tax reform proposal released on Friday includes a provision to encourage economic growth in Puerto Rico and other economically distressed areas that was requested by Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón and several other members of Congress in a letter to congressional tax leaders. The tax bill omits several of the group’s other… Read more »
Congressional leaders announced today a deal on a landmark federal tax reform proposal that restructures both corporate and individual income tax obligations but does not contain relief for hurricane ravaged Puerto Rico. When asked about Puerto Rico’s lack of inclusion in the tax package, House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady explained… Read more »
Representatives from the Congressional Energy and Commerce Committee, Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) and Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) visited Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands over the weekend. The delegation provided the members of the Committee, which is involved in disaster response for both territories, with greater insight into the issues facing the islands. The… Read more »
Almost 60 Democratic Member of Congress sent a letter last week to U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and U.S. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) regarding the ongoing healthcare crisis in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The letter begins with a succinct desire to “avoid further fatalities” in the U.S. territories affected by Hurricanes… Read more »
The tax bill passed by the House of Representatives mentions Puerto Rico specifically in a section called “Provisions Related to Possessions of the United States.” Puerto Rico, in common with other territories of the U.S., is a possession of the United States. Rules for possessions of the United States The first point in this section… Read more »
On Tuesday, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) accompanied by Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), Gillibrand (D-NY), Warren (D-MA), and Markey (D-MA), Representatives Velazquez (D-NY), Plaskett (D-VI), and Soto (D-FL), held a news conference introducing a comprehensive plan to address the immediate humanitarian needs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and ensure that the islands are able… Read more »
Two months after Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, most of the Island remains without electricity, safe water is not available everywhere, many businesses are still closed, and many people are still homeless. Natalie Jaresko, Executive Director of the PROMESA fiscal oversight board, predicts that 170,000 people will have left Puerto Rico between Hurricane… Read more »
The need to protect Puerto Rico from invasive species in the wake of Hurricane Maria came up just briefly in the letter Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) wrote to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney detailing the necessary response to Hurricane… Read more »
Witness testimony for today’s U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing on hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands has been made public. The witnesses include: The Honorable Kenneth Mapp, Governor, United States Virgin Islands The Honorable Ricardo Rosselló Nevares, Governor, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico The Honorable Bruce Walker,… Read more »
In September, eight U.S. senators, led by New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D), wrote to Secretary Purdue of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requesting “much needed food aid” for Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, the availability of food remains a problem in the United States’ most populous territory of roughly 3.4 million people. The USDA… Read more »
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