Washington, D.C. Office

Washington, D.C. Office

We cannot neglect the role Washington D.C. plays in Puerto Rico’s affairs.

In 2016 all three branches of the federal government took action related to Puerto Rico.  The judicial branch, through two separate rulings issued by the U.S. Supreme Court, opined that Puerto Rico is not a sovereign territory and ultimately responds to the plenary powers of the U.S. Congress.  The legislative branch authored and voted for the Puerto Rico Oversight Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) allowing the island to access a comprehensive restructuring process, under the purview of a seven-member oversight board.  Finally, the executive branch signed the law and subsequently appointed members to the oversight board.

It was evident this turning point underscored the need for a think tank dedicated to the island’s issues to be present in Washington D.C. and lend its voice to federal policymakers. CNE is doing just that, becoming the principal non-political voice from Puerto Rico and a resource for knowledge and information. It channels its expertise through distinguished analysis and fact-based advocacy. With its office in D.C., we expect to get the U.S. Congress, the executive branch and federal agencies to focus on the right issues and make progress for CNE’s only client: Puerto Rico.

Beyond Benito: Puerto Rico’s Summer of Possibilities

While we remain optimistic about what we can achieve for Puerto Rico's future, there are still many unknowns surrounding our energy infrastructure, our public debt outlook, and the overall direction of our economy. In this edition of Reading the DC Tea Leaves, we provide insights into these crucial developments.
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Upcoming Federal Priorities for Puerto Rico

In this edition of Reading the DC Tea Leaves we present a list of upcoming federal policy issues that CNE will pursue over the coming years.
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Puerto Rico: Highlights of the Build Back Better Bill

There is a lot of activity going on in Washington, D.C. these days. Back in August, the Senate approved a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. That bill, however, has been on hold in the House, as Democrats negotiated amongst themselves the contents of the Build Back Better ("BBB") bill. We are still combing through the text, but to keep you informed, we wanted to share some of the key points in the BBB bill regarding Puerto Rico as of today.
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The American Rescue Plan Includes Proposal From CNE

Within his first week in office, President Biden laid out his priorities for the American Rescue Plan. The emergency legislation seeks to address the public health crisis and mitigate the nefarious effects of the COVID pandemic on individuals, schools, communities, and businesses.
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2020 Funding Showdown

Last night President Trump took to Twitter to threaten with a Presidential veto the long-awaited COVID relief bill. The current short-term continuing resolution (CR) also expires next Tuesday, December 29, meaning that Congress has little time to make adjustments to the Covid relief bill.
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PROMESA’s New Board

During the past couple of weeks, plenty has been inferred over the future composition of Puerto Rico’s new Financial Management and Oversight Board. In this post we shed some color on the appointments process and what is before the U.S. government at this time. 
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Additional Content from the D.C. Team

Beyond Benito: Puerto Rico’s Summer of Possibilities

While we remain optimistic about what we can achieve for Puerto Rico's future, there are still many unknowns surrounding our energy infrastructure, our public debt outlook, and the overall direction of our economy. In this edition of Reading the DC Tea Leaves, we provide insights into these crucial developments.
Read More

The Rum Excise Tax Cover-Over: A proposal for investing in the future of Puerto Rico

In this policy brief, we break down the origins of the rum cover-over, how the money flows, where it goes, and how to make the most of it. CNE proposes an innovative alternative: the creation of the Puerto Rico Economic Development Fund for the 21st Century, modeled after Alaska’s successful Permanent Fund. 
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Written Statement for Legislative Hearing: Puerto Rico’s Fiscal Recovery Under PROMESA and the Road Ahead

Sergio M. Marxuach provided the following written testimony for the "Puerto Rico’s Fiscal Recovery Under PROMESA and the Road Ahead" hearing held on July 16, 2025, by the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs of the US House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources.
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Una respuesta europea

En la sección Otro punto de vista de la edición de marzo del CNE Review, y como parte de una colaboración especial con el prestigioso think tank español, Real Instituto Elcano, invitamos a Carlota García Encina, investigadora principal, quien explora los efectos en cadena en toda Europa de las políticas públicas de la nueva administración.
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Puerto Rico: Analyzing Federal Policy Changes

In this policy brief we examine the impact of the new administration’s policies on Puerto Rico and the U.S. economy.
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Upcoming Federal Priorities for Puerto Rico

In this edition of Reading the DC Tea Leaves we present a list of upcoming federal policy issues that CNE will pursue over the coming years.
Read More
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