Republican Congressmen John Culberson and Kevin Brady are among 139 Republicans who voted AYE on H.R. 5278, the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act that puts in a framework for an unelected, unaccountable board to manage the economy of Puerto Rico—and once again, a local Harris-Montgomery County area TEA Party “recommended” Republican primary voters cast their ballot for these two Congressmen in the recent March 2016 primary.
Here’s my question— where in the bill is there a provision for the Puerto Rican people to consent to this oversight board comprised of a bunch of D.C. insiders?
Section 101 of PROMESA outlines the membership of the unelected “Oversight Board” shall be comprised over seven members appointed by the President and selected from a list submitted by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.
Yup, sounds like a bunch of D.C insiders will be appointed to the Oversight Board—if it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck and looks like a duck.
And how long will the Puerto Rican people be required to live under this unelected, unaccountable board?
Section 106 of the bill stipulates there is no jurisdiction in any United States District Court to review any challenges of decisions made by the Oversight Board—and Section 209 reads the Oversight Board will terminate when Puerto Rico can demonstrate it can borrow at reasonable interest rates and balance its budget over a four-year period—-which basically means the Oversight Board will live in perpetuity.
Congressman Dave Brat wrote Congress can’t get their own house in order –but this bill will address all of Puerto Rico’s problems? Yeesh.
Perhaps the next time you attend a Kingwood TEA Party meeting you can ask them why an unelected, unaccountable board of D.C. insiders should manage the Puerto Rican economy?
After all, KWTP “recommended” Republican primary voters cast their ballot for Congressmen Brady & Culberson—
The folks over at the Kingwood TEA Party have demonstrated they hypocritically describe themselves as supporting limited government, fiscal responsibility and free markets all the while “recommending” Republican primary voters cast their ballot for two Congressmen who voted YESSIRREE! on a bill forcing the people of Puerto Rico to abandon the principle of consent of the governed—a bill that grows the fist of government, not limits it—and a bill that could result in the Puerto Rican people living under this fiefdom for a lifetime.