FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2020
Both Biden and Sanders Policy Proposals for Puerto Rico Still Lacking,
Say Puerto Rican Stateside Groups as Florida and Puerto Rico Primaries Approach
Candidates have failed to address the impact of the Jones Act on the Island, among other critical issues
Washington DC/Orlando, FL -- The Power 4 Puerto Rico Coalition and partners today discussed the outcomes of a campaign to pressure the presidential candidates to present action plans for the Island and detailed where the Democratic presidential nominee contenders Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden stand on several of the key issues affecting the Island.
In March 2019, Power 4 Puerto Rico launched the #ShowUsYourPRPolicy campaign -- a historic, first-time effort by the Puerto Rican diaspora-- with the release of an open letter and policy blueprint directed at all of the presidential candidates, no matter the political party. Power 4 Puerto Rico enlisted more than 60 local and national organizations in signing the letter and in various actions -- from tweet storms and show-ups at campaign offices across the nation on the Second Anniversary of Hurricane Maria, to directly engaging the campaigns and candidates in meetings and at the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries.
Since the beginning of this campaign, Power 4 Puerto Rico has called for candidates to release comprehensive platforms to address the myriad of issues and crises facing the Island of Enchantment, as a piecemeal approach for Puerto Rico will simply not work. On four key areas, this is how the remaining, leading Democratic contenders Vice President Biden and Senator Sanders stand:
Medicaid funding: Sanders is calling for increased access while Biden is calling for adequate funding.
Jones Act relief: Neither has addressed the issue
Debt crisis: Sanders has called for debt cancellation and Biden has not taken a position
Self-determination: Biden has said he will convene representatives of all status options and will push for federal legislation to enable a self-determination process. Sanders has also called for a self-determination process to decolonize the island among the options of: independence, a modified Commonwealth, and making Puerto Rico the 51st state of the U.S.
“While both Senator Sanders and Vice President Biden have outlined several of the action steps they would take to support Puerto Rico, both still fall short on addressing many of the challenges the Island faces,” said Erica González, Director of Power 4 Puerto Rico. “During this same electoral cycle and with far less time in the race for president, we’ve seen candidates like Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio roll out extensive plans to help the Island and Tom Steyer embrace Power 4 Puerto Rico’s policy blueprint. Biden and Sanders can, and should, do much better.”
"The unprecedented #ShowUsYourPRPolicy campaign has helped put the issues Puerto Rican voters care about at the forefront, while at the same time empowering communities all across the U.S. to engage in the political process like never before," said Federico de Jesús, Senior Advisor of the Power 4 Puerto Rico coalition. "Boricua voters care about their island and the issues facing our family members there are daunting. Presidential candidates of both parties are learning that we will not be taken for granted and will demand the respect we deserve. The first step is showing up and telling voters where you stand. We should expect nothing less from our next commander in chief."
"How Democrats engage, listen to and respond to Puerto Rican issues is of significant importance in this race. It will not be enough to consider Trump’s mistreatment of Puerto Ricans as a motivator in our communities. Our people want to know what the Democratic candidates will do differently. While the Puerto Rican population is booming in states like Florida and Pennsylvania, and will definitely be a factor on election day, candidates who take Puerto Rican voters for granted will pay a price," said Marcos Vilar, Executive Director of Alianza for Progress.
Among the action items included in the Power 4 Puerto Rico policy blueprint is the cleanup of Vieques, a municipality off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. “Vieques suffered decades of U.S. naval bombing exercises that Puerto Ricans and allies brought to an end, but is long overdue a safe cleanup, along with a full hospital and reliable ferry service,” said Myrna Pagán, a Vieques leader. “We’d like to see both Sanders and Biden visit Vieques so that they can see with their own eyes what Viequenses are forced to experience, and hear how they would use the office of the president to support the struggle of Viequenses.”
Power 4 Puerto Rico’s policy blueprint calls for action on a host of federal programs. "The longstanding issue of federal funding inequities for Medicaid and nutritional aid, and the critical need to expand the Child Tax Credit and EITC to all eligible families in Puerto Rico, are issues that any candidate or nominee must fully address. This is non-negotiable as we see a health pandemic erupting in the midst of an already fragile health care system, creating even greater risks for the island,” said Frankie Miranda, President, Hispanic Federation. “Any candidate or party platform for Puerto Rico must champion and commit to leading permanent fixes to these persistent funding and health inequities that continue to hurt an Island with the lowest median income in the United States."
Power 4 Puerto Rico and partners, including Misiόn Boricua in Florida, also call for the next president to issue a full waiver for Puerto Rico from the Jones Act, which imposes unfair maritime transport restrictions on the Island, and in turn, essentially a $1.5 billion tax on Puerto Ricans. “Puerto Rico must be exempt from section 27 of the Jones Act of 1920 because of its antiquated, economically strangling policy,” said Adela López, President of Misiόn Boricua.
The Florida Immigrant Coalition is among the allies that signed on to the #ShowUsYourPRPolicy campaign. “Immigrants and Puerto Ricans understand each other’s struggles, especially in the face of this hostile, anti-Latino president,” said María Rodríguez, Executive Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition. “In a state like Florida, where our numbers are so great and will influence the outcomes of the primaries and general elections, both Biden and Sanders must present their vision and the course of action they would take for both immigrants and Puerto Ricans.”
###