I think the first thing we should be looking at today is explaining the draft legislation to amend the Puerto Rico Oversight Board management, better known as PROMESA.

I think the best thing that we could do for Puerto Rico is get rid of PROMESA.

It's time to extend to the American citizens of Puerto Rico the equal treatment, rights, and respect they deserve.

The strongest criticism to PROMESA has been that it did not provide for economic development.

These aren't acts of God, these are acts of government.

What is the delay and how can we overcome the delay for signing a public partnership agreement?

The Oversight Board is a distraction and has become a perfect political excuse for the local government.

the first tranche of funds from HUD was approved and disbursed to the island. It was $1.5 billion.

If the voters get their backsides too close to the fire, they will just have to sit on the blisters a while.

The only real and permanent solution to the fiscal problems of Puerto Rico before this Committee today is statehood.

Unfortunately, we have only begun access to that initial $1.5 billion.

The notion that we are spending $1.5 billion slowly is simply inaccurate.

having the funds being approved, not disbursed, has created the biggest hardship for many Puerto Ricans on the island.

So if you don't have that plan approved or signed by the HUD administration, what are the programs, what are the services that are put on hold on the island, one, two, three?

the publication of the guidelines in the Federal Register is not being done in time.

Congress has provided almost $20 billion in CDBG-DR funding.

Our Governor's vision for a successful recovery relies on the synergies that the COR3 and the Puerto Rico Department of Housing can create.

We are still waiting for the grant agreement for $8.2 billion of critical funding.