Puerto Rico governor endorses Hillary Clinton | TheHill
Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Padilla endorsed Hillary Clinton for president Wednesday, four days before the island's Democratic primary election.
Padilla, in a Spanish statement, said the Democratic front-runner "will be an ally of Puerto Rico to get out of the crisis," according to Metro PR.
The government of Puerto Rico is embroiled in a financial crisis, unable to pay back roughly $70 billion it owes to creditors.
The island, whose residents are American citizens, has lost nearly 10 percent of its population to the mainland over the past decade, in large part due to a lack of economic opportunity. Puerto Ricans can vote in primary elections, but cannot vote in the general election for president unless they move to one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.
A bipartisan bill to restructure Puerto Rico's debt is in the works in the House of Representatives, but its passage requires tough compromises on both sides of the aisle.
"She supports the legislation in Congress to help Puerto Rico, although, like myself, with serious objections to the anti-democratic parts of the measure that would impose a fiscal control board," Padilla said of Clinton in his statement. Democrats generally oppose the control board, which would have oversight over Puerto Rico's finances, but have mostly accepted it as a necessary evil to pass relief for the island.
"I am convinced and confident that Hillary Clinton will continue to support us and we will correct these injustices, and continue proposing other measures to boost our economic development," Padilla said.
Sunday's primary will pitch Clinton against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who opposes the relief bill. Clinton needs 71 delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination, but only 67 delegates are in play on Sunday.
While Clinton did not personally campaign on the island, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, acted as a surrogate for her there during the same week that Sanders held events in Puerto Rico.
By Rafael Bernal
Puerto Rico governor endorses Hillary Clinton | TheHill
Padilla, in a Spanish statement, said the Democratic front-runner "will be an ally of Puerto Rico to get out of the crisis," according to Metro PR.
The government of Puerto Rico is embroiled in a financial crisis, unable to pay back roughly $70 billion it owes to creditors.
The island, whose residents are American citizens, has lost nearly 10 percent of its population to the mainland over the past decade, in large part due to a lack of economic opportunity. Puerto Ricans can vote in primary elections, but cannot vote in the general election for president unless they move to one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.
A bipartisan bill to restructure Puerto Rico's debt is in the works in the House of Representatives, but its passage requires tough compromises on both sides of the aisle.
"She supports the legislation in Congress to help Puerto Rico, although, like myself, with serious objections to the anti-democratic parts of the measure that would impose a fiscal control board," Padilla said of Clinton in his statement. Democrats generally oppose the control board, which would have oversight over Puerto Rico's finances, but have mostly accepted it as a necessary evil to pass relief for the island.
"I am convinced and confident that Hillary Clinton will continue to support us and we will correct these injustices, and continue proposing other measures to boost our economic development," Padilla said.
Sunday's primary will pitch Clinton against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who opposes the relief bill. Clinton needs 71 delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination, but only 67 delegates are in play on Sunday.
While Clinton did not personally campaign on the island, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, acted as a surrogate for her there during the same week that Sanders held events in Puerto Rico.
By Rafael Bernal
Puerto Rico governor endorses Hillary Clinton | TheHill
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