House Democrats are taking issue with potential provisions in a forthcoming Puerto Rico bill that could impact debt restructuring, the island’s minimum wage and ownership of land on the Caribbean island Vieques, according to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), MorningConsult.com reported yesterday. “It’s an issue of what will work in terms of restructuring, how the makeup and the scope of the board is in furtherance of having the restructuring work,” said Pelosi. “Issues that relate to language about pensions, and minimum wage, et cetera are also part of that discussion. And the Vieques issue is there, but that doesn’t relate to the restructuring.” Separately, on a call with reporters, Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said that Democrats haven’t been presented with a copy of the new legislation. Democrats have raised concerns about provisions in the current Puerto Rico bill, H.R. 4900, that would give the commonwealth’s government the authority to lower the minimum wage to as low as $4.25 an hour. They’ve also criticized a provision in that measure that would authorize the transfer of federal land on Vieques, and they’re pushing for new language that they say would avoid leading to commercial exploitation of the land. Read more.
For more news and analysis of Puerto Rico's debt crisis, be sure to visit ABI's "Puerto Rico in Distress" webpage.
