Washington must act now on Puerto Rico

Recently, the government of Puerto Rico released a report on the island’s fiscal crisis filled with numbers and statistics too staggering to ignore. Yet, many in Washington are doing just that.

Washington politicians have made it clear they are only interested in the issues latinos care about when they are interested in winning our votes. Democrats went all out in 2012 to court the latino vote, and they were successful – turning out a record 11.2 million who secured victories for President Obama in key battleground states and for many members of Congress. But now that millions of latinos need those same politicians to take action on their behalf, it’s becoming clear this relationship is a one way street.

Puerto Rico is in crisis and the quality of life for millions of Americans is on the line. When the García Padilla administration came into office, they inherited a debt burden of $70 billion, an annual deficit of $2.2 billion, an economy that had been in recession for seven years, and an unemployment rate of 16 percent. The governor has made tough choices and the people of Puerto Rico have made sacrifices to improve their situation. But Puerto Rico can’t do this alone; Washington must step up.

{mosads}White House spokesman Josh Earnest has said the federal government would offer its financial expertise to Puerto Rico and that they were encouraging Congress to act. This is a start, but Puerto Rico knows this crisis requires more than advice and encouragement, it requires real action.

When the Garcia Padilla administration first tried to pass a local measure to create an organized process of bringing debt relief parity to Puerto Rico’s public corporations the local law was overturned by the U.S. District Court. The court ruled that only Congress had the authority to craft such a measure. That decision is pending appeal and Congress has failed to take any action in the interim.

When the White House declined to bail out Detroit, the city had another option: Chapter 9 bankruptcy. Puerto Rico doesn’t have that option. Governor García Padilla is asking Congress to change that and give Puerto Rico’s municipalities’ access to Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. This is an issue of fairness for 3.5 million Americans in Puerto Rico who will suffer under austerity measures and who have every right to benefit from this law the way Detroiters have.

Bankruptcy is not the only issue where the federal government has left Puerto Rico to fend for itself. The island’s healthcare system is in crisis and attempts at discussion in Washington have been met with deafening silence. Inadequate federal funding for the system has left it – and the six in 10 Puerto Ricans who rely on it – in jeopardy. An 11 percent cut to Puerto Rico’s Medicare Advantage premiums from the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services which go into effect next year only exacerbate funding issues. Those cuts come while the CMS pours salt in the wound by increasing funding to the 50 states.

Healthcare represents 20 percent of the island’s GDP; the future of the Puerto Rican healthcare system is inextricably linked to the future of the Puerto Rican economy. A collapse would leave the government with few other options besides cutting much-needed services.

The situation on the island is driving Puerto Ricans to the mainland in record numbers. That means there are millions of mainland voters in the 2016 election who will be watching to see which candidates take action. Those millions of voters will be part of an ever-growing latino voting bloc potentially casting the deciding votes in November.

Even if the livelihoods of these Americans don’t matter to Washington politicians, we know their votes do. Washington can’t afford to ignore Puerto Rico. Congress must act now, give Puerto Rico access to Chapter 9, and save the island’s healthcare system. The time is now – when 3.5 million Americans need Washington more than ever before.

Alex is president of Latino Victory Project.