Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersApril 4, 2017

Florida’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is seeking to extend Medicare low-income prescription drug subsidies to resident of Puerto Rico, with a bill he filed today. Nelson’s office estimated that the bill could help an estimated 400,000 low-income seniors in Puerto Rico afford the cost of prescription drugs. While low-income seniors living in the continental […]

Scott PowersMarch 22, 2017

Insisting that the people on Puerto Rico can endure no more austerity measures, a coalition of Puerto Rican, labor, and religious groups marched in Kissimmee Wednesday to protest the federal plan being pushed to resolve the commonwealth’s debt crisis. “Puerto Rico Stands at the edge of a precipice,” declared Wanda Ramos, a leader of the […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 20, 2017

The governor of Puerto Rico has asked Gov. Rick Scott for his help in addressing the nation’s healthcare crisis. In a letter to Scott dated March 17, Gov. Ricardo Rossello said his administration is working hard to stabilize the current fiscal fiscal and economic crisis and to “put the island back on a path of […]

Scott PowersMarch 2, 2017

U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy declared on the floor of Congress Thursday morning that she would like to see Puerto Rico become America’s 51st state. The Democrat from Winter Park represents a district, Florida’s 7th Congressional District, with a large Puerto Rican population. In her speech, the freshman congresswoman said the decision ultimately needs to be […]

Scott PowersFebruary 3, 2017

The social fallout from Puerto Rico’s multi-fasceted financial crisis must be dealt with in more immediate ways in Central Florida where so much of the diaspora is fleeing, a panel of scholars urged key Puerto Rican political leaders in Orlando Friday. Their call for concern for recognizing, assisting, and empowering Puerto Ricans settling by the […]

Scott PowersJanuary 24, 2017

U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, whose district oversees one of the largest and fastest growing Puerto Rican diasporas in the states, has been appointed a seat on a Congressional subcommittee that oversees Puerto Rican affairs. Soto, an Orlando Democrat who is of Puerto Rican descent himself – a first for Florida’s congressional representatives – announced Tuesday […]

Scott PowersJanuary 17, 2017

Longtime Puerto Rican prisoner Oscar López Rivera — known as a political prisoner to his supporters and as a convicted member of a murderous terrorist organization to his foes — is being freed under a clemency granted by President Barack Obama, according to one key lawmaker U.S. Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, an Illinois Democrat who has campaigned […]

Scott PowersDecember 20, 2016

A bipartisan Congressional task force heavily influenced by Florida’s U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio released its final report Tuesday on dealing with Puerto Rico’s economic collapse offering scores of recommendations for helping the U.S. territory, its economy and it’s people. Authorized last summer by the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, […]

Scott PowersNovember 22, 2016

Meeting with a bipartisan roundtable of Puerto Rican leaders in Kissimmee Tuesday, Florida’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson expressed both hope that current Puerto Rico “rescue” plans being developed will help, and concern that not all the details they want can be delivered. Nelson, Congressman-elect Darren Soto and Osceola County Commission Chairwoman Viviana Janer met […]

Scott PowersNovember 18, 2016

Of the three new members of Congress elected from Orlando this month, Democrat Darren Soto is the one who’s no mystery to constituents, and still committed to the same agenda he’s pursued for nearly 10 years in the Florida Legislature: a stronger, fairer economy. Soto, 38, an Orlando lawyer, defeated Republican businessman Wayne Liebnitzky for the open […]

Tag: Puerto Rico
Supporters celebrate the opening of a wheel-chair accessible playground at Anastasia State Park. Image via Florida State Parks Foundation.

Bill Nelson seeks to extend prescription drug subsidies to Puerto Rico seniors

Puerto Rican alliance protests austerity measures on island

Puerto Rico governor asks Rick Scott for help addressing health care crisis

Stephanie Murphy declares support for Puerto Rico to become state

Puerto Rico crisis panel brings it home to Florida

Darren Soto appointed to subcommittee overseeing Puerto Rico

Luis Gutiérrez: Puerto Rican prisoner Oscar López Rivera to be freed

Congressional Puerto Rico task force releases final recommendations

PROMESA task force seeking to rescue Puerto Rico, but pain will come too, Bill Nelson says

For Darren Soto, it’s still all about a stronger, fairer economy