Federal Issues

No todo lo que es oro, brilla

Rosanna Torres, directora de la oficina de CNE en Washington, explica las restricciones punitivas incluidas en el nuevo acuerdo de fondos federales para la reconstrucciĆ³n.

Why the Federal Government Should Support Puerto Ricoā€™s New EITC

Puerto Rico faces a host of daunting challenges, including chronically high poverty (especially among children), low labor force participation, over a decade of economic decline, an unsustainably high debt burden, and the lingering effects of the devastating hurricanes of 2017 that make its long-term prosperity harder to attain. To address these challenges, the Commonwealth needs a comprehensive economic package that centers around powerful tools such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

Sick and Abandoned

For decades, Puerto Rico has received limited funding to run a bare-bones Medicaid program that fails to provide adequate care for 1.5 million people who depend on the program. It is time for Congress to stop nickel-and-diming Puerto Ricoā€™s Medicaid program, and enact a permanent, comprehensive fix.

Puerto Rico’s Renewal

The summer of 2019 witnessed a masterful demonstration of civic engagement by the people of Puerto Rico. When accusations of corruption, misconduct, and deceit threatened to tarnish the islandā€™s reputation, the people of Puerto Rico ā€”both home and abroadā€”Ā took to the streets peacefullyĀ to clean house and show the world that civility and honesty can prevail in the face of daunting political challenges.

Federal Disaster Funding Update for Puerto Rico

Recently, there has been a heated debate about whether Puerto Rico has been treated fairly by the federal government in the allocation of funds for disaster assistance in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The answer to this question is complicated because it depends in large measure in understanding (1) how the federal appropriations process works and (2) how the different kinds of assistance programs function.