CNE – Centro Para Una Nueva Economía – Center for a New Economy
Non-profit, economic research and policy development organization
Management of territorial affairs has historically fallen under the purview of the Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs. However, President Kennedy changed that situation in the case of Puerto Rico by issuing a memorandum ordering that all matters regarding the U.S.-Puerto Rico relationship be referred to the Office of the President.
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.
It has been three years and 145 days since Hurricane Maria struck the island. In other words, Puerto Rico has entered its fourth year of reconstruction. The amount of time that has gone by could suggest that recovery is fully underway. The reality on the ground, however, is very different.
President Joe Biden unveiled last week a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package to help stabilize the faltering U.S. economy.
In general, the new Administration should focus its energy on providing the residents of Puerto Rico equal access to federal programs and funding so it can avoid poverty traps and spur economic growth.
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.
A little over a month ago the U.S. Census Bureau published a notice of proposed rulemaking for the elimination of the Electronic Export Information filing requirement for shipments between the United States and Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. While for the most part this notice has flown under the radar, the negative implications it poses over Puerto Rico’s economic data merits our attention.
En un momento tan doloroso como este, en el que el mundo experimenta semejante pandemia, vale recordar que Puerto Rico atraviesa una situación aún más delicada. Hay toda una generación en la isla que solo conoce la palabra “crisis”.
