PDP backs SSI for Puerto Rico

NPP says bill co-sponsored by resident commissioner is repeat of what the governor already did when in Congress

Popular Democratic Party Secretary General Manuel Calderón Cerame

By The Star Staff

Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary General Manuel Calderón Cerame announced on Sunday that the party supports extending Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to Puerto Rico.

The PDP expressed its backing for U.S. House Resolution 4814, a collaborative legislative effort led by Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández and Guam Delegate James Moylan, a Republican, aimed at extending SSI to the U.S. territory.

During a press conference at the party’s headquarters, Calderón Cerame detailed the party’s formal position on the social justice initiative for Puerto Rico, which is outlined in Governing Board Resolution 12-2025.

“Puerto Rico has been marginalized for too long,” Calderón Cerame stressed. “Extending SSI to our people is not a favor; it is an act of equity for a population with disabilities that has contributed to Social Security.”

SSI is a federal financial assistance program that helps individuals with conditions that affect their ability or that of their families to generate sufficient income to live. Those eligible to receive the assistance are 65 years of age or older, living below the poverty line, or with disabilities or special conditions, or minors with conditions such as cancer, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or multiple sclerosis, among others. SSI is the only federal income support program aimed at families with disabled children.

The PDP official emphasized that the federal initiative is a commitment made by the resident commissioner, whom he commended for demonstrating determination and leadership, fulfilling an essential campaign promise and uniting bipartisan efforts to advocate for the rights of Puerto Rico residents.

“His [office] has the full support of the Popular Democratic Party, as this is vital for improving the quality of life for 300,000 Puerto Ricans [living on the island], including seniors, people with disabilities, and those in vulnerable situations,” Calderón Cerame said, noting that the PDP “will advocate for this initiative in all relevant forums, and it will be one of the first pieces of legislation filed by our delegations in the Legislative Assembly, led by Héctor Ferrer and Luis Javier Hernández, at the start of the new regular session on August 18.”

The PDP secretary general also called on the administration of Gov. Jenniffer González Colón to support the effort led by the resident commissioner.

“This is not a matter of political affiliation; it is an issue of justice and equal treatment for Puerto Ricans,” he said. “The governor and her staff have the opportunity, duty, and responsibility to unify her administration in support of this historic effort for the benefit of Puerto Ricans.”

New Progressive Party Secretary General Jorge Santini said later on Sunday that the SSI legislation co-sponsored by Hernández Rivera is a repetition of what González Colón did when she was resident commissioner.

“Pablo José isn’t inventing anything new,” Santini said. “Jenniffer González filed the Supplemental Security Income Equality Act of 2017 upon arriving in Congress, defended it in federal court, took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, secured bipartisan support in Congress, and even asked President Biden to support equality for SSI recipients in Puerto Rico.”

Santini urged the resident commissioner to instead “file a pro-statehood bill.”

“That is the only way for us to have full rights like the 50 states,” the former San Juan mayor said. “The rest is just gimmicks to pretend something is being done, while we continue to be discriminated against for being a colony.”

“File the statehood bill or admit you’re not willing to address the root of the problem,” Santini added.