Resident commissioner endorses coalition’s Affordability Agenda.

Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera, along with several of his congressional colleagues, on Sunday endorsed the New Democratic Coalition’s Affordability Agenda, which is focused on reducing the cost of living.

By THE STAR STAFF

Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera, along with Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Nellie Pou (D-N.J.), Emily Randall (D-Wash.) and Val Hoyle (D-Oreg.), on Sunday endorsed the New Democratic Coalition’s Affordability Agenda, which is focused on reducing the cost of living.

“The cost-of-living crisis in Puerto Rico is real and urgent; it’s felt at the supermarket, on the electricity bill, and at the pharmacy,” the resident commissioner said in a written statement. “That’s why we brought the New Democrat Coalition’s Affordability Agenda directly to the island: a serious plan, based on what we heard from our communities, to reduce everyday costs and bring real relief. Puerto Rico can no longer wait for broken promises; it needs solutions.” 

The New Democrat Coalition, a caucus of 114 pragmatic Democrats, presented the Affordability Agenda, which focuses on reducing five essential costs: food and basic household items, health care, housing, energy and family care. The agenda reflects priorities raised directly by communities on the ground, including in Puerto Rico.

In housing, the agenda proposes concrete actions such as reducing local zoning restrictions that limit multifamily construction, expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and repurposing underutilized federal properties for residential development. It also sets a goal of building at least four million additional homes over 10 years.

In health care, it proposes permanently extending the expanded subsidies of the Affordable Care Act, allowing greater price negotiation for prescription drugs under Medicare, and prohibiting surprise medical billing practices in more clinical settings. It also advocates for measures against hospital consolidation that drives up prices.

On the topic of energy, the plan proposes streamlining federal permits for electricity transmission and generation projects, modernizing the grid to reduce operating costs, and expanding programs such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known by its acronym LIHEAP, to help vulnerable households pay their electricity bills.

Regarding food and essential goods, the plan includes reviewing and potentially reducing tariffs that increase the cost of imports, measures to increase competition in the meat processing industry, and monitoring anticompetitive practices in supply chains.

For families and care, the plan proposes creating a national paid family and medical leave program, expanding the Child Tax Credit, incentivizing the expansion of childcare centers, and strengthening training and wages for care workers.