WASHINGTON – The congressional task force on Puerto Rico announced Tuesday that it is extending to Oct. 14 its deadline for interested stakeholders to submit recommendations on how to promote economic growth within the commonwealth.
The eight-member Congressional Task Force on Economic Growth in Puerto Rico had originally set a deadline of Sept. 2 for submissions, but extended its deadline after receiving more than 300 submissions to date. All submissions are supposed to be considered part of the public record but have not yet been made public.
"We greatly appreciate the time so many took to write us with their thoughtful ideas on how to improve the Puerto Rican economy for its residents," the task force members said in a joint statement. "In order to cast the widest net possible and to work with stakeholders on providing input in a useable form, we are extending the deadline. At the same time, we urge stakeholders to submit their recommendations as soon as possible."
The task force was created under the PROMESA law to explore, among other things, possible improvements that could bolster job creation, reduce child poverty, and attract investment on the island. It is a separate group from the seven-member oversight board PROMESA also created to oversee Puerto Rico's fiscal affairs and file debt restructuring plans as a last resort if negotiations with creditors are unsuccessful.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is serving as the task force's chair, and is joined by fellow Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Bob Nelson, D-Fla., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla. The task force's House members are Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico's sole and nonvoting representative in Congress, and Reps. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J., Sean Duffy, R-Wis., and Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y.
The eight members must write a report by Dec. 31 that identifies any current impediments federal law and programs put on economic growth or healthcare coverage for the territory as well as recommendations to fix them. They also will have to provide a status update on the information they have collected by mid-September.
