Washington, D.C. – Puerto Rico Economic Recovery Initiative (PRERI) Executive Director Javier Ortiz today issued the following statement on draft legislation to address the island’s fiscal crisis:
“Speaker Paul Ryan is correct – Congress has an unequivocal mandate to bring order and not allow Puerto Rico’s situation to devolve into a humanitarian crisis. We welcome the formal introduction of this legislation and believe that it is a clear indication of bipartisan focus on the immediate needs of the Americans living in Puerto Rico. Congress has an opportunity to turn the tide and create the conditions for job growth and economic opportunity that would drive debt repayment.
“We appreciate the Speaker’s commitment to this important issue and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop’s bipartisan efforts to develop a clear path to success for Puerto Rico. Representative Sean Duffy is well versed on the myriad of issues that disenfranchise Puerto Rico and we are pleased he introduced legislation that recognizes that accountability is important moving forward.
“We remain optimistic that the Natural Resources Committee, and the entire U.S. House will act with speed and purpose to put in place a strong control board coupled with the economic development tools needed to alleviate the suffering of the 3.4 million Americans living in Puerto Rico.”
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