Ranking Member Huffman Statement on Trump Dismissal of Puerto Rico Oversight Board Members

Washington, D.C. - Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) released a statement following reporting that President Donald Trump has dismissed five members of Puerto Rico’s financial oversight board:

“The shocking reports of another sudden Trump firing spree raise serious questions: Who made this decision, and why now? Who stands to benefit if the board is left without a quorum? And what happens to the PREPA bankruptcy—and most importantly the people of Puerto Rico—if this process collapses?

“Last month, during a subcommittee hearing, Democrats warned that holdout bondholders were pushing for exactly this—a board without a quorum, a collapsed bankruptcy process, and a pathway to derail any meaningful restructuring of Puerto Rico’s debt. Now Trump is seemingly handing these wealthy bondholders the win, while clearing the way for fossil fuel insiders and private equity donors to take control and lock Puerto Rico into an unreliable grid, dirty energy infrastructure, soaring energy costs, and decades of pollution.

“The people of Puerto Rico have persevered through years of hardship, blackouts, and failed promises. They’ve made it clear what they want: transparency, accountability, and a voice in their own future. What the Trump administration is giving them looks like another backroom deal that puts billionaires and private equity over working families. 

“The public deserves answers. Congress deserves answers. And the people of Puerto Rico deserve better.”

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Ana Unruh Cohen
(202) 498-3487

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