ALEXANDRIA, VA – The following statement should be attributed to Center for Individual Freedom President Jeffrey Mazzella.

“Congress should reject any and all riders attached to the omnibus spending bill relating to the Puerto Rico debt crisis.

“The American people did not empower this Congress so that it could use gravely important policy decisions as currency in surreptitious budget negotiations made necessary by their inability to cut wasteful spending. The fate of Puerto Rico’s economy and the precedents set by a solution to its debt crisis are far too important to be decided in a hurried, backroom game of politics.

“If Congress feels it appropriate to intervene in Puerto Rico, then it should do so in plain sight and through the full legislative process, after thoroughly assessing the full range of available  policy options. A hurried attempt to approve an all-powerful control board or Super Chapter 9 is a betrayal of the trust of constituents and the Puerto Rican people.

“The Center for Individual Freedom will continue to monitor this situation closely and encourage a transparent resolution process that balances the needs of the Puerto Rican government with the rights of all stakeholders.”

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