WSJ editors warn Puerto Rico inaction could turn Florida blue

The Wall Street Journal editorial board took a new, political tact to push action on Puerto Rico, arguing failure to pass a bill could make Florida a Democratic stronghold.

The conservative editorial board warned that “anarchy and a back-door bailout” would ensue if Congress fails to pass a bill addressing the island’s debt crisis. And in the resulting chaos, the editors warned that tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans, who are already American citizens, will move to the U.S. mainland.

{mosads}“Doing nothing, as some have proposed, will result in anarchy and a back-door bailout as tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans flee to the mainland where they will land on the U.S. public dole,” the editors wrote.

An outside study determined that 64,000 Puerto Ricans moved to the U.S. in 2014, and that number is expected to rise if the economic situation on the territory worsens.

The challenges posed by such a mass emigration are two-fold, according to the Journal. One, it could increase costs to the federal government as Puerto Ricans rely on public assistance to help reestablish themselves on the U.S. mainland.

“While many will eventually find jobs in the U.S., their incomes will at least initially be low enough to qualify for Medicaid, food stamps and public housing. Their kids will attend public schools,” the editors wrote.

And two, it could boost Democratic voter rolls by the tens of thousands in several swing states. Due to its proximity to Puerto Rico, Florida has proven to be the most popular place for Puerto Ricans to settle on the mainland. In 2014, nearly 24,000 moved to Florida.

The Journal noted that President Obama won the critical swing state by just 74,000 votes in 2012, and the hotly contested 2000 presidential race saw then-Gov. George W. Bush take the White House thanks to 537 Florida votes.

“A congressional default would relegate the island to economic paralysis, and Florida and Puerto Rican voters to the Democrats for years to come,” the Journal warned.

Currently, Republicans in the House are working to revise a Puerto Rico relief bill, with the hopes of unveiling the new version shortly after they return from the current weeklong recess. The broad framework of the bill would establish an outside fiscal control board and allow the island to restructure its debt.

The island’s Government Development Bank announced it would default on most of a $422 million payment due Monday. And island officials warn it will default on roughly $2 billion in payments due July 1 absent congressional action.