READOUT: Ranking Member Grijalva Visits Puerto Rico, Discusses Puerto Rico Status Act and $1 Billion Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund
Washington, D.C. – This week, June 26-28, 2023, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) visited Puerto Rico to discuss the Puerto Rico Status Act, the $1 billion Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund, and other federal legislative and oversight priorities, including Puerto Rico’s reconstruction, access to federal programs and resources, and the implementation of Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA).
CLICK HERE for photos of Ranking Member Grijalva’s 3-day visit to Puerto Rico.
“First and foremost, I want to thank the people of Puerto Rico for welcoming me to the island to hear and see firsthand their needs, their priorities, and their vision for their political status future,” Ranking Member Grijalva said. “Puerto Rico’s territory status has created a system of inequity that impacts the daily lives of the more than 3 million Americans living on the island. To make these wrongs right, Congress must commit to listening to residents when it comes to their federal legislative, oversight, and resource priorities. I look forward to continuing to work with the stakeholders we met during this visit and others in the future.”
Media interested in speaking to Ranking Member Grijalva about the visit should reach out to Lindsay.Gressard@mail.house.gov to request an interview.
Details on Ranking Member Grijalva’s Visit
Monday, June 26, 2023:
- Ranking Member Grijalva met with Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi and senior officials to discuss various federal legislative and oversight priorities.
Tuesday, June 27, 2023:
- Ranking Member Grijalva met with members of the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB), which is responsible for overseeing the budgetary obligations of the government of Puerto Rico under PROMESA.
- Ranking Member Grijalva visited the home of a family that includes a 16-year-old daughter with diagnosed TBCK (a rare neurogenetic disorder) to see how renewable energy has helped to power her medical supplies during the island’s frequent power outages, and during hurricanes such as Fiona. CLICK HERE for media coverage of the site visit.
- Ranking Member Grijalva, along with Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón participated in a roundtable with disability organizations and local renewable energy allies to discuss the importance of the $1 billion Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund.
The roundtable was hosted by Movimiento para el Alcance de Vida Independiente (MAVI) and included the following panelists: Sociedad de Educación y Rehabilitación (SER), Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB), Solar Energy and Storage Association, Ruth Santiago, Queremos Sol, Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Federation, El Centro Pro Vida Independiente, Inc. (CEPVI), and Children and Families Dependent on Energy Program.
During the roundtable, panelists spoke about the importance of renewable energy to people with disabilities, existing barriers and needs for obtaining renewable energy for households, necessary transparency and accountability measures for the $1 billion Energy Resilience Fund, benefits of the funding, and other priorities for the funding. CLICK HERE to watch a recording of the roundtable (in Spanish only).
- Ranking Member Grijalva met with the Citizens’ Victory Movement to discuss federal legislative priorities.
Wednesday, June 28, 2023:
- Ranking Member Grijalva met with local political leaders and groups, including representatives of the Puerto Rican Independence Party, Popular Democratic Party, Puerto Rico Democratic Party, Puerto Rico Statehood Council, and former government officials that support Free Association, to discuss the Puerto Rico Status Act and other federal legislative priorities.
- Ranking Member Grijalva met with local organizations, including Waves Ahead, Ayuda Legal, Center for Progressive Development Puerto Rico, nd ACLU Puerto Rico to discuss their work in Puerto Rico and other areas of federal legislative and oversight priority.
Background on the Puerto Rico Status Act
Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States. Territory status limits the island’s full political, economic, and social development. Puerto Rico’s territory status has implications for many aspects of life, including access to federal resources and services, voting power, political representation, foreign affairs, trade, and immigration policy.
On April 20, 2023, Ranking Member Grijalva introduced the Puerto Rico Status Act (H.R. 2757) with original cosponsors Resident Commissioner González-Colón, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.). The legislation, which passed the House last year with bipartisan support, represents a historic offer from Congress to the people living in Puerto Rico to make an informed decision about their political future. The bill lays out the process for voters to make that decision and requires Congress to follow through with the will of the majority of voters.
Background on $1 Billion Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund
In the aftermath of hurricanes and other natural disasters in recent years, solar power has helped many residents and businesses in Puerto Rico keep the lights on. For those with electric medical devices or medications requiring refrigeration, including people with disabilities, a reliable source of power can be lifesaving.
In October 2022, Ranking Member Grijalva led a 38-member letter to then-Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) requesting federal funding for rooftop solar and battery storage for low-income households and households with disabilities in Puerto Rico.
Following that request, the FY2024 government funding omnibus bill included $1 billion to establish U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund to improve the resilience of Puerto Rico’s electric grid by purchasing and installing renewable energy, energy storage and other grid technologies for residents who are low-income or have a disability. DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm has visited Puerto Rico this year to discuss the next steps for implementation of this funding.
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