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Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said in an interview tonight that Congress is “morally obligated” to act. Pierluisi says that he expects the House to propose legislation for Puerto Rican statehood by mid-March. The governor cited discussions with lawmakers, including Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) and Del. Jenniffer González-Colón (R-Puerto Rico), for his prediction, adding that statehood would provide new access to programs, such as Medicaid and the earned income tax credit. “What I anticipate is that there will be considerable support for a statehood bill in this Congress.” “The U.S. could be expanding by admitting Puerto Rico into the union,”...

by Lauren Hass In September 2017, Hurricane Maria slammed Puerto Rico, leaving many dead and millions desperately needing emergency supplies. The Trump Administration rapidly put the U.S. military and FEMA into action, delivering tens of millions of dollars in supplies to San Juan to be distributed. But corrupt San Juan mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz attacked Trump, falsely claiming he didn't do enough, and was "leaving us to starve and die" because of "racism." CNN championed Cruz' lies, putting her on air over 100 times in just weeks to slam Trump, even making her T-shirts to spread the propaganda: This...

Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, said at a Bernie Sanders (I-VT) 2020 campaign rally in New York City on Saturday that thousands of Puerto Ricans died because of Donald Trump and that climate change is real and also is responsible for deaths in the U.S. territory. “I am not a climate change expert,” Cruz said standing in front of a sea of “Bernie” signs. “I am a climate change survivor.”

The FBI on Wednesday arrested two former senior officials who served in the administration of Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, leading the chairman of the House committee that oversees Puerto Rico to call for the governor to step down. The arrests also spurred concerns on Capitol Hill about the billions of dollars in aid that Congress has approved for the island. The federal indictment says the former officials illegally directed federal funding to politically connected contractors. The arrests come about a month after Congress approved a controversial disaster aid bill that earmarked additional funding for Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane...

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló argued Saturday that residents of the US territory are treated like "second-class citizens" and said "we need to solve the century-old problem of colonialism in Puerto Rico." In addition to calling for more resources to help rebuild after Hurricane Maria, the governor told CNN's S.E. Cupp, "there's another thing we need: We need to solve the century-old problem of colonialism in Puerto Rico. The truth of the matter is ... we are treated as second-class citizens." During an interview on "S.E. Cupp Unfiltered," Rosselló, a member of the New Progressive Party, which seeks Puerto Rico...

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Ernesto Davila Marin was in elementary school when rebellion interrupted class. As he left the schoolhouse that October day, black smoke rose from the town center where nationalists had set Jayuya ablaze, shooting police officers and declaring the independent republic of Puerto Rico from a rooftop. In the struggle for sovereignty from American colonial rule, Puerto Rican independence fighters staged uprisings in nearly a dozen cities that day in 1950 and later attempted to assassinate President Harry S. Truman. They held the central mountain city for three days until U.S. Air Force bombers buzzed over the emerald peaks packed with...

Weeks after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, the island remains in crisis. Eighty three percent of people in Puerto Rico don’t have power and thirty five percent don’t have access to clean water. The death toll currently stands at 48 but is likely to keep rising in the coming weeks. Washington has responded to this crisis with billions in immediate disaster assistance, helping the cash-strapped island afford its basic expenses after tax revenue has all but dried up. This financial commitment isn’t going to end anytime soon: Experts suggest the final cost could exceed $100 billion.

Puerto Rico is set to file the largest public sector bankruptcy in history after vulture capitalist hedge funds that bought big pieces of the island’s $73 billion in defaulted debt for pennies-on the-dollar refused to take $24 billion haircut.

<p>A big fire erupted at an electricity plant that powers most of Puerto Rico on Wednesday, causing a blackout that swept across the U.S. territory of 3.5 million people.</p> <p>The Electric Power Authority said two transmission lines of 230,000 volts each failed. Executive Director Javier Quintana told reporters that he expected most power to be restored by Thursday morning, adding that airports, hospitals, police stations and water plants would get priority.</p>

Among the many complex issues in Puerto Rico’s dire financial situation—the Island owes a staggering $73 billion in debt—is how to treat the pension obligations owed to the more than 100,000 retirees and 125,000 active members in the Puerto Rico Government Employee’s Retirement System (PRGERS). Hedge fund managers who gambled on Puerto Rico, paying 30 and 40 cents on the dollar in hopes for full dollar value repayment plus interest, will say Puerto Rico should pay them first. Close more schools if you have to (Puerto Rico has already closed 100), layoff more public sector workers if need be (30,000...

Congress is expected to begin consideration of federal legislation to grant Puerto Rico extraordinary powers to escape a looming debt crisis. The island territory, home to just 3 million people, is faced with a massive $70 billion debt burden. During negotiations of the omnibus budget deal at the end of 2015, House Republican Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) promised House Democrat Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) that Congress would consider legislation to grant the Island with bankruptcy protection from its debts. The tentative deadline to begin action was March 31.

Puerto Rico chose not to make a $58 million bond payment on Monday, a move that essentially amounted to a default for the first time in its 117 years as a United States possession. Although the territory did make a payment on the interest of about $628,000, it said it lacked the funds to make the full payment.

Charlie Rangel won re-election Tuesday, despite the ethical cloud still shrouding him, because all politics is local. Rangel’s censure by Congress in 2012 has been all but forgotten by his voters, and those who recall that embarrassing episode believe that “Charlie was shafted by Congress” for doing what other members have long gotten away with. (SNIP) If Puerto Rican pols backing Espaillat couldn’t move their bloc to him, one has to question their utility as endorsers. Former Bronx state Sen. Israel Ruiz says, “Puerto Ricans voters do not like Dominicans — especially Dominican politicians . . . perceived as cocky...

February 2, 2012 1:51pm 47 Comments Holder to Puerto Rican Rep: 'Wherever you're from' byDavid Freddoso Online Opinion Editor Follow on Twitter: If you need confirmation that Republicans on the House Oversight committee got under Attorney General Eric Holder's skin today at the hearing on Fast and Furious, just look at this response he gave to Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, who grilled Holder about his own previous statements. Specifically, note Holder's comment that "maybe this is the way you do things in Idaho, or wherever you're from."

President Obama is open to the idea of Puerto Rico becoming a state, Associate Attorney General Thomas Perrelli said at a meeting of a task force devoted to issues related to the U.S. commonwealth. "The president strongly believes that the status question is a significant one" Perrelli said at this week's meeting of the President's Puerto Rico Task Force. "He also believes that Puerto Rico's status must be based on self-determination by the people of Puerto Rico. And we on the task force are here with open minds on this issue." Perrelli co-chairs the task force and attended on behalf...

Here's the 39 Republicans that voted for giving Puerto Rico Statehood (now the Puerto Ricans people get to vote on it - of course, we Americans didn't get to vote on it). Also, good column on the bill below. Bartlett Biggert Blackburn Brown-Waite, Ginny Buchanan Burton (IN) Buyer Campbell Cantor Cao Castle Coffman (CO) Cole Crenshaw Dent Diaz-Balart, L. Diaz-Balart, M. Ehlers Flake Frelinghuysen Hensarling Issa King (NY) Kirk Kline (MN) Lungren, Daniel E. Mack McCarthy (CA) Mica Murphy, Tim Pence Posey Putnam Reichert Ros-Lehtinen Schock Thompson (PA) Walden Young (AK Why Tea Partiers Say Throw the Bums Out May...

I made the case yesterday that there’s still a long way to go before PR becomes number 51, but I doubt that’ll comfort most of our commenters. Oh well. Proponents say the measure gives citizens of the island the right to self-determination.‬‪ ‬‪Critics say the measure is a device to impose statehood on a population that doesn’t want it.‬‪ ‬‪Thursday’s action was nonbinding, and if Puerto Ricans eventually select statehood, Congress would still have to vote to admit the island to the union as the 51st state.‬‪ ‬‪ The issue divided Democrats and Republicans alike as liberal Democrats with ties...

NEW YORK—The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is seeking buyers for three banks in Puerto Rico, a small island with big banking problems. According to two people familiar with the matter, the agency has hired an investment bank to try to find capital or outright purchasers for W Holding Co. Inc., R&G Financial Corp. and Eurobancshares Inc., which have almost $21 billion in combined assets. The three banks hold almost 30% of Puerto Rico's $62 billion of deposits, and their bank subsidiaries are operating under enhanced FDIC scrutiny. The three banks didn't respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for the

7/26/2006 - SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- Seth and Stephanie Parker held each other's hands and waited. As the plane touched down at 12:05 a.m. July 22 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, they smiled at each other and looked at their son. Four-day-old Stuart lay across from his parents on a medical cart surrounded by doctors, nurses and medical technicians. He was the newest patient for the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, or ECMO, team that was double- and triple-checking everything to ensure he was ready for the next leg of his journey. Shortly after his birth, doctors told the Parkers that...