Political Quotes

“Today, I am reintroducing a bill to extend the Supplemental Security Income program, known as SSI, to Puerto Rico. Of all of the disparities that Puerto Rico faces because it is a territory and not a State, few are as damaging as its exclusion from SSI. SSI provides monthly cash assistance to blind, disabled, or elderly individuals who have limited or no income. We are talking about the most vulnerable members of our society. SSI applies in all 50 States and in the District of Columbia. However, since the program's inception in 1974, it has not been extended to Puerto Rico. Instead, the Federal grant program, known as Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled, or AABD, applies in Puerto Rico. The Social Security Administration sends monthly SSI payments directly to beneficiaries; whereas the AABD program is administered by the Puerto Rico Government, using an annual block grant provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The gap between the treatment that is provided to beneficiaries in the 50 States and the treatment that is provided to their fellow American citizens in Puerto Rico is, in a word, shocking. According to the most recent Federal statistics, the average SSI payment to beneficiaries is $540 a month and is close to $650 a month for beneficiaries who are under the age of 18.…”