{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/el-comisionado-residente-pablo-jose-hernandez-rivera-y-la-congresista-stacey", "El Comisionado Residente Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez Rivera y la Congresista Stacey Plaskett instan al Senado a incluir el aumento del \u2018cover over\u2019 del ron en el proyecto de reconciliaci\u00f3n presupuestaria para Puerto Rico y las Islas V\u00edrgenes de EE.UU.", "2025-06-16", "2025", "2025-06", "Democrat", "House", "PR", "Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez", "H001103", "hernandez.house.gov", "hernandez", "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Hoy, el Comisionado Residente Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez Rivera (D-P.R.) y la Congresista Stacey Plaskett (D-V.I.) enviaron una carta conjunta al liderato del Senado exhortando a que se incluya una disposici\u00f3n en la versi\u00f3n senatorial del H.R.1, la Ley de Un Solo Gran Hermoso Proyecto de Ley, para restablecer la tasa aumentada del \"cover over\" del ron para Puerto Rico y las Islas V\u00edrgenes de los Estados Unidos.\n\n\u201cEsto se trata de justicia econ\u00f3mica para comunidades que han sufrido desastres naturales, desigualdad estructural, entre otros retos\u201d, expres\u00f3 el Comisionado Residente. \u201cDurante d\u00e9cadas, el programa de \u2018cover over\u2019 ha permitido a nuestras islas reinvertir en educaci\u00f3n, infraestructura y servicios p\u00fablicos. El Congreso debe actuar ahora para brindar la certeza a largo plazo que nuestro pueblo merece.\u201d\n\nSeg\u00fan la ley vigente, los ingresos por el arbitrio federal al ron importado se transfieren a Puerto Rico y las Islas V\u00edrgenes de EE.UU. a raz\u00f3n de $13.25 por gal\u00f3n prueba; $10.50 est\u00e1n establecidos por ley permanente, mientras que los $2.75 restantes requieren reautorizaci\u00f3n peri\u00f3dica por parte del Congreso.\n\nLa carta fue enviada al L\u00edder de la Mayor\u00eda republicana del Senado John Thune, al L\u00edder Dem\u00f3crata Charles Schumer, al Presidente del Comit\u00e9 de Finanzas del Senado Mike Crapo y al senador dem\u00f3crata de mayor rango Ron Wyden. El H.R. 1378, copatrocinado por ambos legisladores, contiene el lenguaje legislativo necesario para realizar este cambio, pero dicha disposici\u00f3n fue excluida de la versi\u00f3n aprobada por la C\u00e1mara del H.R. 1.\n\n\u201cExtender la tasa aumentada del \u2018cover over\u2019 del ron es un asunto de darle a Puerto Rico las herramientas para invertir en su recuperaci\u00f3n econ\u00f3mica y su crecimiento a largo plazo. Nuestra industria del ron sostiene miles de empleos bien remunerados y genera ingresos cr\u00edticos para el desarrollo econ\u00f3mico en la isla. Incluir esta disposici\u00f3n no es simplemente una decisi\u00f3n fiscal\u2014es una declaraci\u00f3n de que el gobierno federal respaldar\u00e1 a sus ciudadanos en todas las partes de los Estados Unidos,\u201d a\u00f1adi\u00f3 el Comisionado Residente.\n\n\u201cEl cover-over ha sido una parte fundamental de la relaci\u00f3n contributiva entre Estados Unidos y sus territorios por m\u00e1s de un siglo\u201d, dijo la congresista Plaskett. \u201cEstos fondos, que representan cerca del 25% del presupuesto anual del Gobierno de las Islas V\u00edrgenes, son esenciales para estabilizar el programa de pensiones de los empleados p\u00fablicos, respaldar proyectos de infraestructura y atraer inversiones que diversifiquen la econom\u00eda m\u00e1s all\u00e1 del turismo. Aunque actualmente recibimos $10.50 por gal\u00f3n de alcohol puro, es importante que tanto las Islas V\u00edrgenes como Puerto Rico puedan recibir el m\u00e1ximo reembolso permitido del arbitrio federal. Quiero agradecer a mis colegas, incluyendo al congresista Pablo Hern\u00e1ndez (D-PR) y al congresista Ron Estes (R-KS), por su constante gesti\u00f3n para aumentar la tasa del rum cover-over a $13.25 hasta el a\u00f1o 2032, y aplicarlo retroactivamente desde 2022 e insto al Senado a que se una a nosotros en respaldo a esta medida tan crucial\u201d.\n\nOprima AQU\u00cd para leer la carta del Comisionado Residente y la congresista Plaskett.\n\n###\n\nResident Commissioner Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez and Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett Urge Senate to Include Rum Cover Over Increase in the Budget Reconciliation Bill for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Resident Commissioner Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez (D-P.R.) and Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (D-V.I.) sent a joint letter to Senate leadership urging the inclusion of a provision in the Senate version of the H.R.1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, to restore the enhanced rum cover-over rate for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.\n\n\u201cThis is about economic justice for communities that have suffered natural disasters, structural inequality, among others,\u201d said the Resident Commissioner. \u201cFor decades, the cover-over program has allowed our islands to reinvest in education, infrastructure, and public services. Congress must act now to provide the long-term certainty that our people deserve.\u201d\n\nUnder current law, excise tax collections on imported rum are transferred to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands at the rate of $13.25 per proof gallon; $10.50 per proof gallon is in permanent law, and the remaining $2.75 per proof gallon requires periodic reauthorization by Congress.\n\nThe letter was sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Democratic Leader Charles Schumer, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, and Ranking Member Ron Wyden. H.R. 1378, co-sponsored by both lawmakers, contains the necessary legislative language to make this change, but the provision was excluded from the House-passed version of H.R. 1.\n\n\u201cExtending the increased rum cover over rate is about giving Puerto Rico the tools to invest in economic recovery and long-term growth. Our rum industry supports thousands of good-paying jobs and generates critical revenue to support economic development on the island. Including this provision is not just a fiscal decision\u2014it\u2019s a statement that the federal government will stand by its citizens in every part of the United States,\u201d added the Resident Commissioner.\n\n\u201cThe cover-over has been a fundamental part of the tax relationship between the United States and its territories for over a century,\u201d said Congresswoman Plaskett. \u201cThese funds, which represent nearly 25% of the Virgin Islands Government\u2019s annual budget, are critical for stabilizing the government employees\u2019 pension program, supporting infrastructure projects, and attracting investments to diversify the economy beyond tourism. While we presently receive $10.50 per proof gallon, It\u2019s important that the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico be able to receive the maximum allowance of the return on the excise tax. I would like to thank my colleagues, including Congressman Pablo Hernandez (D-PR) and Congressman Ron Estes (R-KS), for their continued advocacy to provide the increased rum cover over rate of $13.25 until 2032, and retroactively to 2022, and urge the Senate to join us in support of this critical measure.\u201d\n\nClick HERE to read the Resident Commissioner and Congresswoman\u2019s letter.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T01:08:28Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/el-comisionado-residente-pablo-jose-hernandez-rivera-y-la-congresista-stacey"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.359214074909687, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}