Topics in the News: Puerto Rico
Joe Biden on Energy & Oil
: Feb 7, 2023
The climate crisis doesn't care if your state is red or blue
In addition to emergency recovery from Puerto Rico to Florida to Idaho, we are rebuilding for the long term. Let's face reality. The climate crisis doesn't care if your state is red or blue.
It is an existential threat. We have an obligation to our children and grandchildren to confront it. I'm proud of how America is at last stepping up to the challenge. But there's so much more to do. We will finish the job
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: 2023 State of the Union speech as prepared for delivery
Joe Biden on 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
Bernie Sanders on 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 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 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
Bernie Sanders on 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
Page last updated: Nov 02, 2024
Error processing SSI file