House Armed Services Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) and Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) led 145 Members of Congress in writing a letter to President Trump demanding that the Department of Defense deploy additional resources to aid recovery efforts in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Lawmakers are calling for the appointment of a senior… Read more »
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, President Trump tweeted “Governor @RicardoRossello– We are with you and the people of Puerto Rico. Stay safe! #PRStrong.” Governor Rossello tweeted about his phone call with the president. Social media has been a hub for discussion of the hurricane among public servants and for people on the Island, who… Read more »
Last night, the U.S. Senate passed a bill to end the exemption of investment firms in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories that do exclusive business in those islands from the Investment Company Act of 1940, giving the SEC greater jurisdiction over their activities. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) sponsored the bill with Sens. Orrin Hatch… Read more »
Reps. José Serrano (D-NY) and Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) have written a letter to Puerto Rico’s PROMESA Financial Oversight Board, demanding greater transparency and better stewardship of public funds. “It has come to our attention,” the New York representatives wrote, “that the Oversight Board has spent over $30 million—which comes from Puerto Rican taxpayers—for salaries, equipment,… Read more »
In the run-up to the recent status plebiscite in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rican diaspora — people who have moved to the States from Puerto Rico and their descendants — came up in more than one context. First, there are those who believe that the diaspora should have a say in votes on the political… Read more »
The Puerto Rico financial control board in a closed meeting late yesterday rejected both the $9.256 billion budget for the territory’s central government for the fiscal year beginning Saturday and the debt restructuring agreement for the Electric Power Authority (PREPA). Both had been approved by the islands’ elected leaders, with the PREPA debt deal also… Read more »
Puerto Rico’s most recent plebiscite, held June 11, had a very clear outcome: 97% of voters chose statehood from the territory’s three status options (nationhood in addition to territory status and statehood). The islands’ political factions supporting nationhood and an unprecedented “Commonwealth status” that Federal officials have said is impossible for constitutional reasons had campaigned… Read more »
The Puerto Rico Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB), created by the PROMESA law, has been the subject of a number of complaints and concerns from members of the U.S. Congress. There have also been complaints about the board directed to the U.S. Congress. On June 15, Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT), Chairman of the House… Read more »
As results of the June 11 plebiscite vote have reached Washington this week, a number of congressional leaders have made statements or joined Gov. Rosselló in his visit to the nation’s capital. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), a former chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the current highest ranking Democrat on… Read more »
Puerto Rico’s most recent plebiscite, held June 11, had a very clear outcome: 97% of voters chose statehood from the three options on the ballot. However, the opposition parties had encouraged a boycott of the referendum and are now trying to discredit the vote, which had a low turnout. In fact, the voting turnout percentage… Read more »
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