PDP to focus on incentive bill, government oversight

Popular Democratic Party President Pablo José Hernández Rivera, center

By THE STAR STAFF

Popular Democratic Party (PDP) President Pablo José Hernández Rivera met with the party’s legislative conference and mayors over the weekend to set an agenda for the current four-year term.

“The Popular Democratic Party remains focused on the priorities of the people and aims to present itself as a viable alternative for change, striving for job creation and an improved quality of life for all Puerto Ricans,” Hernández Rivera stated in a written announcement.

PDP Secretary General Manuel Calderón Cerame added: “All of our legislators reaffirmed their commitment to promoting an economic development agenda and have united in support of the new manufacturing incentive proposed by HR 1328, introduced by Congresswoman [Nicole] Malliotakis from New York and Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera.”

The legislation, a bipartisan measure, would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish the critical supply chains reshoring investment tax credit.

The PDP minority leader in the island Senate, Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz, emphasized that “our legislative conference, along with the leadership of the Popular Democratic Party, will continue with an aggressive oversight plan, especially considering that [Gov.] Jenniffer González’s administration has had the worst start to any four-year term in Puerto Rico’s history.”

PDP Rep. Héctor Ferrer Santiago, the party’s minority leader in the lower chamber, added that “we will intensify our efforts to highlight potential conflicts of interest involving La Fortaleza Chief of Staff Francisco Domenech, as well as the current administration’s lack of priorities and agenda.”

Jorge “Georgie” González Otero, president of the Puerto Rico Mayors Association, noted that “[s]ince the beginning of this four-year term, we have been collaborating on the municipalities’ priorities.”

“I must also point out that the team selected in both Washington and San Juan is well-experienced and understands the needs of Puerto Rico’s 78 municipalities,” the Jayuya mayor said.

On Friday, Hernández Rivera officially opened his local office at the Centro de Bellas Artes in Caguas.