[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 109 (Tuesday, June 30, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H4321-H4322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PROMESA IS A DEMOCRATIC TRAGEDY

  (Mr. Hernandez of Puerto Rico was recognized to address the House for 
5 minutes.)
  Mr. HERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago, PROMESA became law. It 
established a financial oversight board capable of overriding Puerto 
Rico's elected officials on fiscal matters.
  PROMESA is a democratic tragedy. We surrendered our self-government 
in exchange for fiscal relief. Ten years later, we have restructured 
most of our debts and balanced our most recent budgets, but we still 
dream about restoring our democratic self-government.
  The 10th anniversary of PROMESA begs the question: Where do the 
people of Puerto Rico stand today? As their voice in Congress, I say: 
We oppose the bad government practices that created the impression that 
PROMESA was a necessity. We oppose the vulture funds that want to 
profit from our misery and energy crisis. We oppose unelected oversight 
boards that can override our democratic will.
  We support good government. We support responsible bankruptcy relief. 
We support restoring democracy and electing the people who govern us.
  Puerto Rico was once an example of good government in Latin America, 
but it became an example of how politics and corruption erased the path 
to prosperity.
  On the 250th anniversary of the United States, let us not forget the 
parts of this country of States, territories, and commonwealths that 
had and lost their government by consent of the governed. Let us not 
forget that we the people must continue to work toward a more perfect 
Union, a more perfect Union of States, territories, and commonwealths.
  Now, for the benefit of my constituents, I will repeat my remarks in 
Spanish.
  (Spanish translation of the statement made in English is as follows:)
  Hace diez anos, PROMESA se convirtio en ley. Le impuso a Puerto Rico 
una junta de supervision no electa, con la capacidad de pasar por 
encima de los funcionarios electos en asuntos fiscales.
  PROMESA es una tragedia democratica. Entregamos nuestro autogobierno 
a cambio de alivio fiscal. Diez anos despues, hemos reestructurado la 
mayoria de nuestras deudas. Hemos balanceado nuestros presupuestos mas 
recientes. Pero todavia sonamos con restaurar la democracia en nuestra 
isla.
  El decimo aniversario de PROMESA obliga a plantearse la pregunta: 
qdonde se encuentra hoy el pueblo de Puerto Rico?
  Como su voz en el Congreso, digo:
  Nos oponemos a las malas practicas de gobierno que hicieron que 
PROMESA pareciera necesaria.
  Nos oponemos a los fondos buitre que quieren lucrarse de nuestra 
miseria y de nuestra crisis energetica.
  Nos oponemos a las juntas de supervision no electas que pueden pasar 
por encima de nuestra voluntad democratica.
  Apoyamos el buen gobierno.
  Apoyamos un alivio responsable ante la quiebra. Apoyamos restaurar la 
democracia y elegir a quienes nos gobiernan.
  Puerto Rico fue una vez un ejemplo de buen gobierno en America Latina 
y

[[Page H4322]]

en los paises emergentes. Se convirtio en un ejemplo de como la 
politica y la corrupcion destruyen el progreso y borran el camino hacia 
la prosperidad.
  En el aniversario 250 de los Estados Unidos, no olvidemos aquellas 
partes de este pais de estados, territorios y estados libre asociados 
que tuvieron--y perdieron--su gobierno por consentimiento de los 
gobernados.
  No olvidemos que ``nosotros, el pueblo'' debemos continuar la labor 
hacia una union mas perfecta: una union mas perfecta de estados, 
territorios y estados libre asociados.

                          ____________________