Rep. Ruben Gallego on the Puerto Rico Humanitarian Crisis
Washington, DC – This week, American citizens in Puerto Rico have once again been left in limbo after Republican leaders in Congress left for home without passing a bill to address the island’s humanitarian crisis. Today, Puerto Rico is expected to miss its largest payment to creditors to date.
Rep. Ruben Gallego released the following statement:
“Puerto Rico is in crisis, and Republicans are refusing to act as jobs are lost, schools and hospitals are closing, and young workers are leaving the island in historic record numbers. Republican leaders not once, but twice cancelled plans to take up legislation in the House Natural Resources Committee and broke for recess last week without addressing Puerto Rico, the Zika threat, or the crisis in Flint, Michigan.
“As a member of the House Natural Resources Committee and a Latino, I am outraged by the majority’s inability to govern and respond to these threats to national and international public health and economic stability.
“Speaker Ryan broke his promise to his colleagues and to the Puerto Rican people by failing to lead while extremists in his party demanded legislation filled with poison-pill provisions, including anti-environment and anti-worker language. Republicans are playing dangerous politics and using the urgency of time to eventually force a bill that will make things significantly worse for the Puerto Rican people – all while asking me and my Democratic colleagues for our support.
“This is unacceptable. I echo Governor Padilla’s call for immediate relief and action by Congress.”