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Friday, February 18, 2011

Pierluisi Opposes Budget Cuts that Would Affect Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON, DC- Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi today registered his opposition to the severe budget cuts proposed by the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, especially the contemplated cuts to the Pell Grants program and the COPS Hiring program.

“I recognize the need to reduce our nation’s deficit in a thoughtful and deliberate manner. But, as a recent editorial stated, ‘these are the wrong cuts, to the wrong programs, at the wrong time,’ said the Resident Commissioner in a statement he submitted for the Congressional Record.

In his statement, Pierluisi specifically cited the proposed cuts to the Pell Grants program, the COPS Hiring program, and to the federal programs that allocate funding to states and territories to preserve the quality and safety of drinking water.

“Pell Grants give nearly ten million disadvantaged students, who might otherwise be unable to afford college, the ability to obtain a university education. Yet, the legislation we are considering today would reduce annual Pell Grant funding for students by nearly $690 dollars on average—and by nearly $720 in my district, Puerto Rico,” said Pierluisi.

According to the Resident Commissioner, it should be clear that cuts to the Pell Grant program undermine our efforts to ensure that “our students are better educated, our economy is more prosperous and our nation is more competitive.” Likewise, Pierluisi urged the Republican-led House to reconsider the elimination of the COPS hiring program.  

“COPS puts officers on the streets, protects communities, and saves lives. . . . As Attorney General of Puerto Rico in the 1990s, I worked with the Clinton Administration to help secure passage of the bill that created the COPS program. Since the mid-1990s, Puerto Rico has received over $160 million in COPS grants. This funding has translated into over 3,500 new police officers in our communities. I can attest that programs funded by COPS have been a key ingredient in Puerto Rico’s fight against crime. . . . To propose the elimination of the COPS Hiring Program—especially at a time when states and territories are least able to find the funding necessary to safeguard their citizens—is profoundly irresponsible,” said the Resident Commissioner.

Finally, Pierluisi expressed concern over proposed budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), especially cuts to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and the federal program that seeks to reduce diesel emissions. In each instance, he argued that the proposed cuts would have an adverse effect on his constituents’ health.