Eight Democrats on the House Committee on Natural Resources, the committee that oversees U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, wrote a concerned letter to Douglas L. Hoelscher, who is Deputy Assistant to the President and Co-Chair of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status. The letter began by asking who is currently on the Task… Read more »
The next Puerto Rico status vote will take place during the general election in November 2020. The U.S. citizens who are registered to vote in Puerto Rico will be able to vote yes or no for statehood for Puerto Rico. No one else will be allowed to vote. But in the floor debate before the… Read more »
Reps. José Serrano (D-NY), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), and Raúl Grijalva (D-NY) have written a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asking him to provide “greater oversight” for Puerto Rico’s tax loopholes. They also asked that the Treasury Department calculate the cost to the federal government of the Island’s special treatment for wealthy… Read more »
Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon has introduced a new Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act. The bill (H.R. 4901) calls for a federally-sponsored plebiscite asking voters simply whether Puerto Rico should become a State. This up-or-down inquiry is the same question Hawaii and Alaska used when they became States of the Union. Under the bill… Read more »
A Congressional subcommittee will hold a hearing tomorrow at 10:30 am to examine health care funding in the U.S. territories. The hearing, which is entitled “Strengthening Health Care in the U.S. Territories for Today and Into the Future,” will cover Puerto Rico’s upcoming extreme loss of Medicaid funding, often referred to as the “Medicaid Cliff.”… Read more »
Many Americans are surprised to learn that nearly half of all U.S. households don’t pay federal income taxes, and many of these households receive tax refunds from the IRS. To followers of federal policy towards Puerto Rico, this statistic carries a certain irony because Puerto Ricans do not pay federal income taxes from Puerto Rico sourced… Read more »
The PROMESA Financial Board (FOMB) recently sent a strong reply to six of the 34 congressional Democrats who wrote a critical letter to the board three weeks ago. The congressional letter was organized by the incoming chairman of the House committee with jurisdiction regarding PROMESA, Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), and signed by three senators who are… Read more »
On Dec. 31, 1972, Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash as he was traveling to Nicaragua. The 38 year old baseball giant was delivering aid to earthquake victims. At the time, he lived near Piñones in Loíza, Puerto Rico. Jose Serrano (D-NY), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL), and Darren Soto (D-FL) have introduced… Read more »
Following a strongly-worded letter from Governor Rossello, 58 members of Congress have written to Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin asking that the Treasury take action on disaster relief loans to Puerto Rico. “We are concerned by reports of reduced loan amounts and repayment requirements,” the legislators wrote, “and believe that you must ensure that your… Read more »
Following Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s announcement to privatize the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. José E. Serrano (D-NY) wrote today to the Governor requesting additional details on the plan, including assurances on affordable rates and reliable service. “It is evident to us that… Read more »
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