Puerto Rico Recovery Task Force

This Policy Brief focuses on the lack of effective coordination among the relevant stakeholders in the recovery process, set forth principles to guide the process, present policy priorities for both the emergency response to Fiona and the ongoing reconstruction related to María, and suggest a mechanism for effective coordination among and between all the relevant parties.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Medicaid Five-Year Deal

H.R. 4406 helps Puerto Rico avoid a short-term Medicaid funding cliff and provides some stability by setting forth clear funding levels for the next five years. However, the proposed five-year deal falls short of parity with the states, is not a permanent fix, and perpetuates the “separate and unequal” treatment of Medicaid beneficiaries in the territories, who are being told, once again, to accept a “good enough” deal.