Rubio, Clinton to campaign in Puerto Rico on the same day

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) will hit the presidential campaign trail in Puerto Rico this Friday, the same day that Hillary Clinton heads to the island.

Rubio’s campaign announced the trip on Tuesday, inviting journalists to a Friday afternoon rally at a restaurant near the island’s coast.

Clinton’s team confirmed that she’ll be campaigning in Puerto Rico on the same day but has not yet released an itinerary.

The visits from the White House hopefuls come as the island faces a crisis over more than $70 billion in debt. The New York Times reported that Puerto Rican officials had to delay work on a financial plan thanks to recent storms, and that the new deadline to complete a plan is Sept. 8.

While American cities are allowed to declare bankruptcy, U.S. states and territories cannot. Clinton in July called on Congress to let Puerto Rico have access to bankruptcy laws and to help it restructure its debts.

Rubio hasn’t publicly articulated his stance on the debt crisis, with aides telling National Journal in July that he hadn’t yet decided a way forward. His campaign told The Hill that it does not have an update on Rubio's stance but noted that the issue is likely to come up during his visit.

Clinton and Rubio are not the first presidential contenders to visit Puerto Rico this year. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) was the first declared candidate to visit the island this cycle when he swung by in August. And former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) visited in April before he officially declared his bid.

Both candidates agree with Clinton and want Puerto Rico to have access to bankruptcy laws.

By Ben Kamisar

Rubio, Clinton to campaign in Puerto Rico on the same day

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