Topics in the News: Puerto Rico
Alejandro Mayorkas on Puerto Rico:
(Budget & Economy Feb 5, 2021)
Puerto Rico still needs critical work to rebuild and recover
DHS Secretary Mayorkas spoke by phone with Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi. FEMA Acting Administrator Bob Fenton also joined the call to discuss the devastating impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
They agreed that critical work still needs to be done for Puerto Rico to rebuild and recover. Secretary Mayorkas pledged his full support to help Puerto Rico strengthen its resilience to future natural disasters and other threats.
Click for Alejandro Mayorkas on other issues.
Source: Biden Administration Press Release from dhs.gov
Joe Biden on Puerto Rico:
(Government Reform Jan 27, 2020)
Statehood good for Puerto Rico, and our whole country
For decades, Puerto Ricans and their interests have been ignored by Washington. There's a clear solution to this challenge that a majority of Puerto Ricans support. And it's a solution that, polls show, two-thirds of all Americans also support:
statehood. But most candidates for president have been too afraid to back it. Not me. I'll state it clearly: I support statehood for Puerto Rico. I believe statehood would be good not only for Puerto Rico, but for our whole country.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: The Orlando Sentinel on 2020 Presidential Hopefuls
Mike Bloomberg on Puerto Rico:
(Government Reform Jan 20, 2020)
Ensure equal status for Puerto Ricans; supports statehood
Mike will support statehood for Puerto Rico, subject to approval by Puerto Rican voters. He will ensure that all Puerto Ricans receive the same benefits and rights as other American citizens. Mike's economic plan will provide fair safety
net funding to Puerto Rico, including full funding for Medicaid, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Child Tax Credit, as well as full Social Security benefits.
Click for Mike Bloomberg on other issues.
Source: 2020 Presidential campaign website MikeBloomberg.com
Andrew Yang on Puerto Rico:
(War & Peace Sep 12, 2019)
We've been in continuous armed conflict for 18 years
I've signed a pledge to end the forever wars. We've been in a state of continuous armed conflict for 18 years, which is not what the American people want. We have to start owning what we can and can't do. We're not very good at rebuilding countries.
And if you want proof, all you have to do is look within our own country of Puerto Rico.We've spent trillions of dollars to unclear benefits, lost thousands of lives--And the goal has to be to rebuild the relationships that have made
America strong for decades.
I would lead our armed forces with restraint and judgment. What the American people want is simply a president who has the right values and point of view and they can trust to make
the right decisions when it comes to putting our young men and women into harm's way. And that's what I would do as president.
Click for Andrew Yang on other issues.
Source: September Democratic Primary debate in Houston
Beto O`Rourke on Puerto Rico:
(Foreign Policy Sep 4, 2019)
Let Puerto Rico determine its own future
We need to make sure for the people of Puerto Rico can determine their future. Now whether that is independence, whether they want to remain a territory or whether that is statehood with two U.S. senators who can go to town for them in the U.S.
Congress to bring down the resources that they need. We need to support the people of Puerto Rico.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: Climate Crisis Town Hall (CNN 2019 Democratic primary)
Beto O`Rourke on Puerto Rico:
(Foreign Policy Sep 4, 2019)
We left Puerto Rico unprotected & under-funded for disasters
Q: Puerto Rico was in the international media about the wrong handling of assistance that were sent after the hurricane hit. What will your plan be to make sure that victims get the necessary assistance?O'ROURKE: I hope it makes everybody angry the
way that we've treated the people of Puerto Rico, our fellow Americans who were left in harms' way without the necessary investment in the infrastructure to mitigate the storms that we knew were going to hit them. There are only more severe and more
frequent and more devastating, thanks to our emissions & our inaction in the face of climate change. And to add insult to injury, President Trump is taking money away from FEMA. So I want to make sure that we fully fund those disaster response agencies.
I want to make sure that we fully fund pre-disaster mitigation grants because we know the people of Puerto Rico are going to see more storms--only much larger and much deadlier. And so we need to invest ahead of time, not afterwards.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: CNN Climate Crisis Town Hall marathon (10 Democrats)
Julian Castro on Puerto Rico:
(Environment Jun 26, 2019)
Executives must deal with disasters in sustainable way
My first visit after I announced my candidacy wasn't to Iowa or New Hampshire. It was to San Juan, Puerto Rico. When I was mayor of San Antonio, we moved our local public utility, we began to shift it from coal-fired plants to solar and other
renewables, and also created more than 800 jobs doing that. When I was HUD secretary, we worked on the National Disaster Resilience Competition to invest in communities that were trying to rebuild from natural disasters in a sustainable way.
Click for Julian Castro on other issues.
Source: June Democratic Primary debate (first night in Miami)
Andrew Yang on Puerto Rico:
(Government Reform May 13, 2019)
Electoral College: allocate state votes proportionally
He supports automatic voter registration, statehood for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, and ending felony disenfranchisement and partisan gerrymandering. Perhaps his most unusual proposal pertains to the Electoral College.
Yang calls for the states to allocate delegates on a proportional basis, like Maine already does. Yang also proposes making this proportional Electoral College system mandatory through a constitutional amendment.
Click for Andrew Yang on other issues.
Source: The New Republic on 2019 Democratic primary
Andrew Yang on Puerto Rico:
(Government Reform Apr 14, 2019)
Supports statehood for DC & Puerto Rico
I'm 100 percent for D.C. statehood. You should have been a state a long time ago. And I am also for Puerto Rican statehood, which is also long overdue.
It's like a statement I make is that if Puerto Ricans looked like Swedes, they would have been Americans a long time ago.
Click for Andrew Yang on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mike Gravel on Puerto Rico:
(Foreign Policy Apr 9, 2019)
Referendum on Puerto Rico statehood
Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States. Although its inhabitants are citizens and have the freedom of movement throughout the rest of the country, they do not have a vote in Congress, and no say in presidential politics.
This is a denial of political rights. Puerto Rico should be allowed to host a legitimate, formal, binding referendum on statehood, and be eligible to participate in presidential and congressional elections.
Click for Mike Gravel on other issues.
Source: 2020 Presidential campaign website MikeGravel.com
Andrew Yang on Puerto Rico:
(Foreign Policy Mar 29, 2019)
Puerto Rican statehood is overdue step toward equality
Puerto Rico should be a state--they function as one right now without the political rights and bankruptcy protection. If Puerto Ricans looked like Swedes they'd be a state already.
We must not only offer them political equality but help them rebuild their economy and infrastructure--it will take time but that's what Americans do.Problems to be solved: -
Puerto Rico has been a part of the US for over a century but has never been granted the full rights of statehood
As President, I will...- Take all steps necessary to promote Puerto Rican statehood as an overdue step toward equality if this is what Puerto Ricans want
Click for Andrew Yang on other issues.
Source: 2020 presidential campaign website Yang2020.com
Jay Inslee on Puerto Rico:
(Civil Rights Mar 1, 2019)
Statehood for DC & Puerto Rico; they deserve representation
I've always supported statehood for Puerto Rico and DC. People have got to have representation--
700,000 people in the District of Columbia is as large as Wyoming.
Click for Jay Inslee on other issues.
Source: David Roberts, Vox.com, on 2020 Democratic primary
Pete Buttigieg on Puerto Rico:
(Civil Rights Feb 20, 2019)
Calls for redistricting reform; questions Electoral College
Buttigieg endorsed redistricting reforms and other changes that would allow for greater representation of the public interest. "Bold changes and reforms are needed," Buttigieg said, including "things that might require constitutional action. Things like
questioning whether it really makes sense to have an electoral college, which twice in my lifetime has overruled the American people. And whether it makes sense to continue with places like D.C. and Puerto Rico denied full political representation."
Click for Pete Buttigieg on other issues.
Source: Common Dreams e-zine on 2020 Democratic primary
Andrew Yang on Puerto Rico:
(Government Reform Feb 6, 2019)
Make Puerto Rico a state
Yang wants to make the U.S. territory of
Puerto Rico an official state.
Click for Andrew Yang on other issues.
Source: Townhall.com: 2020 Democratic primary "Candidate profiles"
Bernie Sanders on Puerto Rico:
(Budget & Economy Nov 1, 2018)
Restructure debt so Puerto Rico can rebuild
Right now in Puerto Rico, the government is struggling with an unsustainable amount of debt. Rather than restructuring that debt in a way that protects the people of Puerto Rico, a small group of hedge fund billionaires are demanding extreme austerity
policies that would decimate public services, including the firing of teachers and the closing of schools. It is unacceptable that these Wall Street investors will reap huge profits off the suffering and misery of the Puerto Rican people.
These creditors must be forced to negotiate a debt repayment plan that is fair to both sides--the people of Puerto Rico deserve nothing less.When people are suffering and hurting [in the aftermath of 2017's Hurricane Maria], you don't continue to
squeeze them. We cannot allow Puerto Rico's budget to be balanced on the backs of the most vulnerable people--working families, veterans, the elderly, children and the poor. It is not only morally wrong, it is also economically unsustainable."
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2018 Vermont Senate campaign website BernieSanders.com
Bernie Sanders on Puerto Rico:
(Foreign Policy Nov 1, 2018)
Binding referendum on Puerto Rico statehood vs. independence
Empowering the People of Puerto Rico to Decide Their Own Destiny: There must be a U.S. congressionally-sanctioned and binding referendum where the Puerto Rican people would be able to decide on whether to become a state,
an independent country, or to reform the current Commonwealth agreement. This is an issue that should be decided by the Puerto Rican people.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2018 Vermont Senate campaign website BernieSanders.com
Bernie Sanders on Puerto Rico:
(Welfare & Poverty Oct 27, 2017)
Puerto Rico nearly bankrupt after Great Recession
Since 2006, Puerto Rico had lost 20% of its jobs, and about 60% of Puerto Rico's adult population were unemployed. In other words, Puerto Rico remained in the midst of a major and prolonged depression. As a result of its economic crisis, the
Puerto Rican government was deep in debt and heading toward bankruptcy. Wall Street institutions, sensing the opportunity to make a killing at the expense of a weak and impoverished territory, were there to "help." They lent the government money at
usurious interest rates.
In 2015, Puerto Rico owed over $70 billion and was paying, in some cases, a 34% interest rate on tax-exempt bonds that vulture capitalists purchased at 29 cents on the dollar. The people of Puerto Rico should not be forced
to suffer even more in order that a handful of wealthy investors could make outrageous profits. I called on those investors to take a major "haircut" and understand that they could not make huge profits off a deeply impoverished and suffering island.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: Where We Go From Here, by Bernie Sanders, p.112-3
Hillary Clinton on Puerto Rico:
(Foreign Policy Mar 9, 2016)
Give Puerto Rico authority to restructure their debt
Q: Will you help Puerto Rico restructure its debt in 1st 100 days?SANDERS: When you get to Puerto Rico, there's an issue that we have not talked about. That island is $73 billion in debt and the government is paying interest rates of up to 11 percent.
Many of the bonds they are paying off were purchased by vulture capitalists for 30 cents on the dollar. What I have said in talking to the leaders of Puerto Rico, we've got to bring people together. Some of these vulture capitalists are going to have
to lose money in this process.
CLINTON: Absolutely. I have been calling for months that the Congress must give authority to Puerto Rico to restructure its debts. Just like it has enabled states and cities to restructure their debt. It's a grave
injustice for the Congress to refuse to enact that opportunity within the bankruptcy law. They deserve to be treated as citizens and to be given the opportunity to get back on their feet economically.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic primary debate in Miami
Bernie Sanders on Puerto Rico:
(Foreign Policy Mar 9, 2016)
Vulture capitalists responsible for Puerto Rican debt
Q: Will you help Puerto Rico restructure its debt in 1st 100 days?CLINTON: Absolutely. I have been calling for months that the Congress must give authority to Puerto Rico to restructure its debts. Just like it has enabled states and cities to
restructure their debt. It's a grave injustice for the Congress to refuse to enact that opportunity within the bankruptcy law. They deserve to be treated as citizens and to be given the opportunity to get back on their feet economically.
SANDERS: When you get to Puerto Rico, there's an issue that we have not talked about. That island is $73 billion in debt and the government is paying interest rates of up to 11 percent. Mmany of the bonds they are paying off were purchased by vulture
capitalists for 30 cents on the dollar. What I have said in talking to the leaders of Puerto Rico, we've got to bring people together. Some of these vulture capitalists are going to have to lose money in this process.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic primary debate in Miami
Mike Gravel on Puerto Rico:
(War & Peace May 2, 2008)
Iraq war was propagandized like 1898 “Remember the Maine!”
The military-industrial partnership [in the late 1800s] needed a war to launch America’s overseas empire. The spark came after the suspicious sinking of the US battleship Maine in Havana in 1898. It was blamed, without proof, on Spain.
The three-month conflict with the decrepit Spanish Empire left the US with the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam.In the end 4,324 Americans were lost, as well as between 600,000 and 1 million Filipinos--eerily familiar numbers today.
Also disturbingly alike were Congressional hearings that revealed US troops used water torture against Filipinos. The Philippine occupation and resulting insurgency was essentially repeated in Vietnam and Iraq. The aims were the same: to expand
US power and economic interests against competing nations under the phony banner of Christianity or democracy. All three invasions were driven by money and power as ends in themselves--or as a means to more money and power.
Click for Mike Gravel on other issues.
Source: A Political Odyssey, by Mike Gravel, p. 95-96
Page last updated: Mar 02, 2022
Error processing SSI file