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.

The CNE D.C. Team

Rosanna Torres

Director, Washington D.C. Office

Rosanna returns to CNE after serving as the first Senior Advisor to the Secretary on Puerto Rico at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In this role, she underscored and helped the agency address various issues impacting Puerto Rico, including language access limitations, disparate addressing standards, exclusion in critical data surveys and programs, and more. Importantly, her work fostered ongoing engagement with Puerto Rico, monitoring expenditures of billions of funding for disaster recovery, and providing a space for residents, small businesses, and community-based organizations to voice concerns.

During her first years at CNE, Rosanna effectively influenced Congress and the Executive to address Puerto Rico’s challenges, leading to substantial changes in federal law. Notably, she played a key role in the permanent authorization of a federal supplement to the local Earned Income Tax Credit, a policy studied by CNE since 2003, which promotes work and alleviates poverty. Among the other policy wins, the DC office was also successful in carrying through a generous Medicaid funding package in 2019. Her return signifies a renewed commitment to spreading deep knowledge and serious research across the federal government to help Puerto Rico thrive.

With a career dedicated to public service, Rosanna has held various roles within the federal government, including as Legislative Director for Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez, Professional Staff Member in the House Small Business Committee, Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and other roles at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, the U.S Census Bureau, and the Office of Personnel Management.

Rosanna holds a master’s degree in International Commerce and Public Policy from George Mason University and a bachelor’s degree in Business Statistics from the University of Puerto Rico.

Tragic Start to the New Year and Actions from the Federal Government

Puerto Rico received the new year with a series of earthquakes, aggravating its ability to recover from the 2017 hurricanes. In response to the significant damages suffered once again by the residents of Puerto Rico, and increasing public pressure, on January 16, 2020, the Federal Government took several actions related to Puerto Rico’s Disaster Recovery Process. Read on for a brief summary of these actions.
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Puerto Rico Small Business Contracting Provision in NDAA

On December 11, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed in a 377-48 vote the Conference Report to accompany the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), or S. 1790 which authorizes funding for fiscal year 2020 for military and defense activities of the U.S. Government. Embedded in the massive legislation is Rep. Nydia Velázquez’s H.R. 3372, the Small Business Contracting Credit Act of 2019.
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Averting a government shutdown and Puerto Rico’s Medicaid cliff

Last night the House unveiled a continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the government through December 20. What does this mean for Puerto Rico?
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Puerto Rico and the EITC

Upward mobility has always been a cornerstone of the “American dream”; the opportunities are boundless as long as you put in the work. Ringing true to that promise, the federal government created the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in 1975 to reduce the tax burden for low- and moderate-income working families.
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Addressing Puerto Rico’s Medicaid Cliff

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to markup 26 bills tomorrow at 9:30AM, including H.R. 2328, the "Reauthorizing and Extending America's Community Health Act".  An Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (ANS) – essentially a full replacement of bill text – will be offered to incorporate language of H.R. 3631, the "Territories Health Care Improvement Act" which includes a temporary fix to Puerto Rico’s Medicaid cliff. 
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Puerto Rico in the 2019 Disaster Supplemental

After many deliberations between key negotiators, on Thursday, May 23, 2019,  and just hours before recessing for the Memorial Day holiday, the Senate passed a long-awaited $19.1 billion bipartisan disaster aid package. 
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Additional Content from the D.C. Team

Del PAN al SNAP

En un momento de tanta discusión sobre las posibilidades transformadoras del uso de fondos federales en Puerto Rico, no debemos perder de vista una de las propuestas que más posibilidad de impacto tiene para nuestra Isla: la transición del PAN al SNAP.
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NAP vs. SNAP: An Analysis on Federal Nutrition Assistance for Residents of Puerto Rico

In this policy brief, we take a look at some of the most important findings of the Update to Feasibility Study of Implementing SNAP in Puerto Rico published in July 2022 and analyze their implications.
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Written Testimony Submitted to the United States Commission on Civil Rights

Written Testimony by Sergio M. Marxuach submitted to the United States Commission on Civil Rights on December 10, 2021.
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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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Standing Up for Puerto Rico in Washington, D.C.

In a short three years, CNE has not only elevated and persuaded Congress and the Executive to more adequately address Puerto Rico’s challenges, but it has achieved substantial changes in federal law.
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The Threefold Challenge to the Puerto Rican Economy

The Puerto Rican economy is simultaneously recovering from three systemic shocks: the COVID-19 pandemic, the considerable damage inflicted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and the upcoming creditor's vote on the Plan of Adjustment negotiated by the FOMB.
Read More
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