Island GOP addresses top issues of concern for PR with members of Congress

Puerto Rico Republican Party Vice President Keren Riquelme Cabrera (Facebook via Keren Riquelme)

By The Star Staff

Puerto Rico Republican Party Vice President Keren Riquelme Cabrera held a day of meetings in the U.S. Congress earlier this week, where key issues that directly affect the island and its future as part of the United States were addressed.

Among the issues discussed, Riquelme highlighted national security and the urgent need for Puerto Rico to be an integral part of the Medical Manufacturing, Economic Development, and Sustainability Act (MMEDS) legislation proposed in the past by Gov. Jenniffer González Colón when she was resident commissioner and that is now being reintroduced at the request of the governor, this time by Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) among others, and which proposes federal tax benefits and other incentives for pharmaceutical manufacturers operating in the United States or relocating their facilities to U.S. soil. Riquelme emphasized that Puerto Rico has the talent, infrastructure and strategic geographical position to lead this new stage of national self-sufficiency in the pharmaceutical sector.

Other priority issues discussed included the allocation of federal funds for the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), the strengthening of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP, and the defense of essential services for veterans, such as the TriCare health plan. Meanwhile, statehood for Puerto Rico was one of the topics of greatest interest in the conversations held with both U.S. senators and representatives.

“It was a day of great progress,” Riquelme said. “I thank the offices of Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Representative James Moylan (R-Guam), Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla,), Representative Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Representative Mary Miller (R-Ill.) and Representative Brandon Gill (R-Texas) for their time and willingness to listen to and consider our proposals for the benefit of Puerto Rico.”