President Biden has announced a new Build Back Better Framework as a next step in negotiating the Build Back Better bill with Congress.
While some elements of the original bill have been scaled back, many of the benefits for Puerto Rico remain.
Building Puerto Rico Back Better
The current iteration of the Build Back Better plan would do the following things for Puerto Rico:
- Extend Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to the territory, ending the uncertainty surrounding a pending Supreme Court case.
- Make Puerto Rican families eligible for monthly payments of the Child Tax Credit, consistent with the current policy in the fifty states
- Increase the federal matching rate for Medicaid and eliminate Puerto Rico’s current cap on Medicaid federal assistance
- Expand preschool and school lunch programs
- Implement wind power initiatives in Puerto Rican waters
The bill’s new framework reduces the $3.5 trillion bill to $1.75 trillion.
Governor’s response
“Today is a great day for Puerto Rico,” said Governor Pierluisi in a written response. “The Biden Administration included important appropriations for Puerto Rico in its ‘Build Back Better Act’ bill that will help us fight poverty, create jobs, and improve the quality of life of our people. As we prepare to take the necessary steps to emerge from government bankruptcy and restructure our public debt, the federal government is taking concrete steps to treat us with the equality we deserve as American citizens. We have seen how when we are treated equally, Puerto Ricans achieve great success, as we have demonstrated in the management of the pandemic and vaccination efforts.”
Speaking of the extension of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to Puerto Rico, he said, “This will have a huge impact on the quality of life for our people in need. It is another step to combat poverty and help everyone on our Island to have a dignified life.”
Pierluisi has been speaking optimistically about Puerto Rico’s potential.
“The collaboration and support between the Government of Puerto Rico and the Federal Government will continue to bear fruit for our people,” he said, “and the day will soon come when we will not have to wait for special provisions for the Island and, on the contrary, equality will be guaranteed for the American citizens of Puerto Rico.”
The governor was probably referring to the initiative to achieve statehood for Puerto Rico. As a State, Puerto Rico will not require special provisions but will receive the same treatment as the current 50 States. Equality is guaranteed for States, but not for territories.
wow, more welfare through the commonwealth colony status- in that case why become a state. this will make the colony permanent
We have no representation in Congress or Senate, We have no presidential vote, we are just as the Congress wish for us to be, and we have been under for more than a hundred years. No we don’t want crumbs, we want full benefits like any other state of the nation, we want statehood. Three time we vote yes to the statehood through referendums. Is time that we are taken seriously by the congress
Note that as long as Puerto Rico is a territory, any special deals Congress makes can be canceled at any time. States have rights, but territories do not.
True, that is why the majority in the November 2020 plebiscite (53%) vote Yes to the statehood now. More than a hundred years and still waiting. But the PEOPLE of the Island already three time, 3 plebiscite vote Statehood now.
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Crumbs instead of the statehood we vote in favor last November 2020, 53% and absolute majority, why, what the Congress are waiting for..
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No statehood for Puerto Rico, but DeSantis want the Puertorican vote from Florida, We should not do that. Republicans don’t want to consider us to be an State and it sound like we don’t deserve it. So why I’m going to tell my sons and granddsons, daughter in-law to vote for DeSantis or any other Republican member
Plebiscite, Plebiscite, wherefore art thou Plebiscite?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn a gringo
And I’ll no longer be an Independencia.
“While the issue of statehood – commonly known as Puerto Rico’s “status” – stagnates, implications are felt daily.” The implications have been felt for 123 years. Did 52% of the people who lived on the Island in 1920, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 2000, 10 ever asked: Why is US statehood important to us?
Unlike Juliet, who was willing ready to renounce her family for Romeo’s love, the Puerto Ricans are willing to become a state of the US for thirty pieces of silver. It is not honourable to sell yourself for thirty pieces of silver.
The young people who are members of the US military volunteered to be in the US military – there is no mandatory military requirement in US law.
“Puerto Ricans are voting for statehood with their feet, moving….”
The PR’s are not voting with their feet; they are finding better employment In the US.
From IE, rfwrites38