View from the Hill

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.

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.

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.

PROMESA’s New Board

During the past couple of weeks, plenty has been inferred over the future composition of Puerto Ricoā€™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.Ā 

Correcting Historically Discriminatory Policies Against Residents of U.S. Territories

For decades, Puerto Rico and the other U.S. territories have been deprived of access to federal programs specifically designed to provide a safety net, break persistent poverty cycles and jumpstart the economy. These limitations unfairly discriminate against the residents of U.S. territories and perpetuate long-standing inequities. Three recent court decisions suggest discriminatory policies against the residents of U.S. territories will no longer stand.

Impact of the SSI in Puerto Rico

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Two recent court rulings have found this categorical exclusion of the residents of Puerto Rico and Guam to be unconstitutional. We take a closer look at the impact the SSI program could have for Puerto Ricoā€™s residents and the potential economic benefits associated with it.

Timely Ruling on the Supplemental Security Income for Puerto Rico

In a world where it seems there is only bad news, Iā€™d like to share some good news that recently came out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for theĀ First Circuit regarding the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program and its extension to the residents of Puerto Rico.

Replenishing Aid for Small Businesses and Organizations

As soon as the third federal coronavirus response package was signed into law, the clock started ticking for small businesses already overwhelmed by business-altering decisions. Business owners, sole proprietors and leaders of nonprofit organizations rushed to ensure their organizations would not be left out of any available help.Ā  But, as it turns out now, the scale tipped towards those with most leverage and influence on the Hill.