NCLR: Refusal to Provide Bankruptcy Protection to Puerto Rico Is a Profound Failure of Congressional Republican Leadership
December 16, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Showing both a failure to take responsibility and a failure to lead, congressional Republicans today refused to include provisions in an omnibus spending bill that would have provided critically needed bankruptcy protection for Puerto Rico and helped to avert a looming humanitarian crisis on the island where 3.5 million American citizens reside.
“For nearly a century, when America asked hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans to serve their country, they answered the call. Yet, when the island sent out a distress signal, Republican leaders in Congress chose to ignore it. In a display of staggering irresponsibility, these leaders frittered away a golden opportunity to use the budget agreement to solve this issue,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza).
“Whatever short-term advantage Republican lawmakers believe their misguided decision gives them pales in comparison to the long-term consequences of their failure to act. This issue is not going away. Choosing not to fully address the problems that Puerto Rico is facing will directly harm the millions of Americans who live on the island,” added Murguía. “The responsibility for a permanent solution still lies at Congress’s feet. While some health care provisions in the bill are helpful, the people of Puerto Rico deserve better from the federal government than this piecemeal approach. Congress knows that without bankruptcy provisions there is no real legislative solution to this crisis and we are now looking to the administration and others to provide much-needed relief.”
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook andTwitter.
NCLR: Refusal to Provide Bankruptcy Protection to Puerto Rico Is a Profound Failure of Congressional Republican Leadership
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