Resident commissioner rejects status bill, promotes strengthened commonwealth status

Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera

By The Star Staff

Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera is gearing up to champion a revitalized and robust commonwealth status for Puerto Rico during the July 25 holiday.

His declaration came over the weekend in response to a recent proposal concerning the island’s political identity, which he firmly opposes.

In a letter to Rep. Víctor Parés Otero, who chairs the Government Committee in the island House of Representatives, regarding House Bill 78 -- an initiative aimed at organizing a constitutional status assembly -- Hernández Rivera voiced his commitment to prioritizing the pressing issues that truly impact people in Puerto Rico.

“We must focus on the realities of everyday life: tackling the high cost of living and rebuilding our crumbling electrical grid, rather than getting tangled in an unproductive debate over our political status,” the resident commissioner stated in the letter made up public on Saturday.

Hernández Rivera highlighted his achievements in Washington, asserting that his pragmatic approach has delivered undeniable results for the people of Puerto Rico. He emphasized the successful maintenance of the rum tax refund program, which has brought in over $100 million in extra revenue -- something past resident commissioners have struggled to secure. Additionally, he stood his ground to protect vital funding for the Nutritional Assistance Program and Medicaid, ensuring that those lifelines remain intact despite broader budget cuts, the resident commissioner noted.

With a cooperative spirit, Hernández Rivera said, he has partnered with Gov. Jenniffer González Colón to advocate for federal parity, addressing critical issues that directly affect the well-being of Puerto Rico residents. He said Washington is not interested in addressing Puerto Rico’s political status.

“In the six months I’ve been in Washington, it’s become clear that neither the congressional majority nor the President shows any interest in Puerto Rico’s statehood,” the resident commissioner noted in his letter. “Moreover, it’s apparent that independence is not the desire of our people.”

He firmly rejected HB 78, stating, “At this time, I cannot support this or any legislation seeking to redefine Puerto Rico’s political status.”

As part of his advocacy, Hernández Rivera will be a guest speaker at the July 25 events commemorating the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Constitution, to be held at the Recreation and Sports Palace in Mayagüez.

“There, I will reaffirm my belief that a strengthened and modernized Commonwealth is the most viable path forward for justice, development, and equity for our people,” he declared.

On Sunday, Rep. José Aponte Hernández said the resident commissioner wants to perpetuate Puerto Rico’s current colonial status, which he noted allowed for the imposition of the Financial Oversight and Management Board.

“Equal rights is not a sterile issue, but I’m not surprised in the least by this stance from the resident commissioner, who truly has no new ideas and seeks to govern Puerto Rico with a rehash of the past,” stated the veteran pro-statehood lawmaker. “He wants to condemn us to living under a colony, where entities like the oversight board can impose themselves.”

The former speaker of the House noted that HB 78, introduced by another former House speaker, José “Conny” Varela of the Popular Democratic Party, seeks to address the issue of the political relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States.

“The [resident] commissioner prefers to ignore the issue of status, the inequality we experience, and the lack of political power that forces things to be imposed on us, in order to try to sell abstract lies to the people,” said Aponte, who chairs the House Government Committee. “The people have already transcended the lie of the best of both worlds, but apparently he hasn’t. We don’t want the colony, we don’t want the Junta [oversight board], we don’t want our veterans to lack the same benefits as those who reside in the states, we don’t want our people with special needs to continue without the benefit of the Supplemental Social Security program. Unfortunately, Hernández does want that and only wants to govern the colony, nothing more, regardless of the discrimination that represents for the people.”