[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 178 (Wednesday, December 9, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H9084]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        THE URGENT NEED FOR CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON PUERTO RICO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Puerto Rico (Mr. Pierluisi) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PIERLUISI. Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues are aware, the heavily 
indebted U.S. territory of Puerto Rico is ensnared in a severe economic 
crisis.
  My constituents are not responsible for this crisis, but they are its 
primary victims. I know they would prefer to live, work, and raise a 
family in Puerto Rico, but thousands are departing for the States every 
month in search of quality of life, which is not available in Puerto 
Rico. Each time an individual leaves because they feel compelled to go, 
it represents a small human tragedy.
  I have participated in five congressional hearings on Puerto Rico 
this year. The message I delivered about the roots of the crisis was 
clear and consistent. I have acknowledged that, over the years, Puerto 
Rico's leaders, with a few exceptions, have demonstrated a lack of 
discipline and transparency in managing Puerto Rico's public finances. 
For this, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
  But, as I have reiterated time and again, the crisis has a second, 
equally significant source. It is the relationship between the Federal 
Government and Puerto Rico, which is like the relationship between a 
master and his servant.
  This relationship is a national disgrace. It denies my constituents, 
countless numbers of whom have served this country in uniform, the 
fundamental right to vote for their national leaders. Remember this the 
next time you hear our country lecture another country about the 
importance of democracy.
  As an advocate for statehood for Puerto Rico, I am a proud American 
citizen. But protesting the mistreatment of my people will always take 
precedence over being polite.
  The relationship between the Federal Government and Puerto Rico 
allows you to treat us decently when it suits you and to treat us 
poorly whenever it does not. We live at your whim, subject to your 
impulses, which are bound by virtually no legal rules or moral 
standards.
  If there is a silver lining in this crisis, it is that the crisis has 
caused a clear majority of my constituents to conclude that the 
relationship between the Federal Government and Puerto Rico must 
change.
  Puerto Rico must have equality in this Union or independence outside 
of it. No longer should we be reduced to begging this Congress for 
crumbs and hoping you throw some our way. We must get off our knees, 
stand up straight, look you in the eye, and say ``No more.''
  However, until Puerto Rico becomes a State or a sovereign nation, our 
fate rests largely in the hands of Congress. I have introduced a series 
of bills that would empower Puerto Rico to help itself. These bills 
don't seek a handout or special treatment. They seek the same or 
similar treatment as the States receive under the Federal health and 
other safety net programs, Federal tax credit programs, and the Federal 
law that authorizes debt restructuring.
  If Congress declines to act, it will not be because my colleagues did 
not have options to choose from. It will be because they made a 
conscious decision not to choose at all.
  Federal action is necessary to prevent a default by the Puerto Rico 
Government on its obligations to creditors, which would be catastrophic 
for all parties. To avoid this outcome, Congress should authorize 
Puerto Rico to restructure a meaningful portion of its bonded debt, but 
in a way that honors the territory's constitution.
  Such authority can be provided at no cost to American taxpayers. If 
it is, I will not oppose the creation of a temporary, independent board 
that respects the Puerto Rico Government's primary role in crafting its 
budget and making fiscal policy, but that is authorized to ensure that 
the Puerto Rico Government complies with appropriate budgeting 
standards and fiscal metrics.
  Ultimately, what Puerto Rico needs is good elected leadership, not 
heavy-handed Federal intervention that further erodes democracy in the 
territory. It is in the national interest for Congress to act and to 
act now.

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