128: Crisis in Puerto Rico Congressional Dish

Puerto Rico is in trouble and only the U.S. Congress can help the island of U.S. citizens. Does the bill quickly moving through Congress actually help Puerto Rico? Executive Producer: Kevin Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bill Highlights Definitions : "Any political subdivision, public agency, instrumentality - including any instrumentality that is also a bank - or public corporation of a territory, and this term should be broadly construed to effectuate the purposes of this Act." : "To provide a method for a covered territory to achieve fiscal responsibility and access tot he capital markets." Article IV, section 3 of the Constitution "Provides Congress the power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations for territories." The Oversight Board will have the power to demand budgets from any public agency. The Oversight Board has the power to exclude any public agency from the requirements of this law. Seven members appointed by the President. Six of the selections will be from lists created by Congress. Two people must be selected from two different lists submitted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Two people must be picked from a list created by the Majority Leader of the Senate One person must be selected from a list created by the House Minority Leader One person must be selected from a list created by the Senate Minority Leader One person will be picked by the President on the board has to be a territory resident or "have a primary place of business in the territory" The The Governor, or his designee, will be an : 3 years : Can be done by the President "only for cause" : The member can serve until someone else is appointed. Must have "knowledge and expertise in finance, municipal bond markets, management, law, or the organization or operation of business or government" No one who has worked for the territory's government is allowed on the Oversight Board Rules for the Oversight Board The work of the Oversight Board : Approve of fiscal plans Approve a budget To waive a law To approve or disapprove an infrastructure project The Oversight Board can change the territory's laws "with the greatest degree of independence practicable" The Oversight Board may conduct their business . The Board will determine his/her salary The Executive Director , as long as none of them get more than he does. Are allowed but need to be publicly disclosed "The Executive Director and staff of the Oversight Board may be appointed and paid governing appointments and salaries. Any provision of the laws of the covered territory governing procurement shall not apply to the Oversight Board." The Oversight Board "shall have the right to secure copies, whether written or electronic, of such records, documents, information, data, or metadata from the territorial government" about how much money they think they're owed Failure to obey an Oversight Board will be punished in court according to territorial laws. The Oversight Board must "ensure prompt enforcement" of any territorial laws "prohibiting public sector employees from participating in a strike or lockout Any legal action against the Oversight Board must be filed in a United States district court for the territory, or in the US District Court for Hawaii if that territory doesn't have one. The courts to consider challenges to the Oversight Board's certification determinations The Oversight Board will be in an amount chosen by the Oversight Board. Until the territory creates the law providing permanent funding, the territory must transfer whatever the Oversight Board requests in its budget - at l