On Tuesday, March 15th, Hispanic Federation gathered alongside Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Charles Schumer, Richard Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren, Bill Nelson, Bob Melendez and Representatives Nydia Velazquez, Jose Serrano, and Steny Hoyer, NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Hamilton’s creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, and citizens of Puerto Rico. Coming from different backgrounds with varying stories, everyone’s message was clear: Congress must act now to address the fiscal crisis in Puerto Rico.
Following the press conference, Hispanic Federation and other leading advocates made visits to elected officials on Capitol Hill to discuss the urgent situation affecting 3.5 million American citizens.
For months, this crisis has been top of mind. The island faces a crippling $72 billion debt; austerity measures have already been taken. We are out of options. In the short term, bankruptcy protections are needed to allow the island to restructure its debts and begin to rebuild. In the long term, serious investments in healthcare and tax reforms must be implemented. We are urging Congress to meet Speaker Ryan’s March 31st deadline. The time for action is now.
To read our report on the Puerto Rico fiscal crisis, click here.
To download our advocacy toolkit, click here.
To read the full press release, click here.
