{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/hernandez-demands-accountability-fiscal-board-their-cost-their-duration-and", "Hern\u00e1ndez demands accountability from the Fiscal Board for their cost, their duration, and their lack of results", "2025-07-17", "2025", "2025-07", "Democrat", "House", "PR", "Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez", "H001103", "hernandez.house.gov", "hernandez", "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 With a firm tone and clear gaze, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez Rivera confronted the Fiscal Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico (FOMB) today during a congressional hearing that, in his words, \u201cfelt like a celebration of PROMESA.\u201d\n\nBut for Hern\u00e1ndez, there is nothing to celebrate: \u201cPROMESA has been a tragedy for Puerto Rico, for the United States, and for the values this nation claims to uphold. For nearly a quarter of my life, my democratic rights and the autonomy of Puerto Rico have been shackled by an imposed, unelected entity that overrides our elected leaders,\u201d emphasized Hern\u00e1ndez Rivera.\n\nThe Resident Commissioner was direct, demanding transparency, accountability, and above all, answers. \u201cHow is it possible that a Board that promised to cost less than $400 million has ended up spending over $2 billion? How can it preach austerity while spending freely on consultants who are unaccountable and, in many cases, have no incentive to end their contracts?\u201d\n\nAnd in nine years, he noted, not a single balanced budget: \u201cThat\u2019s not success. That\u2019s failure. And the people are paying for that failure with blackouts, inflation, and despair.\u201d\n\nIn one of the most tense moments of the hearing, Hern\u00e1ndez questioned FOMB Executive Director Robert Mujica about the government's $20 billion contract with New Fortress Energy\u2014a contract that, according to Mujica, was negotiated with incompetence, with monopolistic terms, and with no support from the Board itself.\n\n\u201cThe Board blamed the administration of Jenniffer Gonz\u00e1lez. But the underlying question remains, who is looking out for the public interest? The people deserve a fair, transparent process that delivers results. Not another shady deal disguised as a solution,\u201d said Hern\u00e1ndez.\n\nWith the same tone, he also reiterated his support for a new tax incentive to promote local manufacturing, similar to the former Section 936, and urged Congress to move forward on achieving parity in federal programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP.\n\n\u201cPuerto Rico\u2019s economic development cannot remain hostage to status politics. This is an opportunity to find common ground, to legislate with reason, and to restore the dignity the Puerto Rican people deserve,\u201d the Resident Commissioner added.\n\nClosing his remarks, Hern\u00e1ndez made clear he would not allow fatigue or cynicism to dominate the debate: \u201cPuerto Rico deserves leadership. It deserves a roadmap to the future. It deserves to know when the Board will leave. Because nine years is enough.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T14:40:33Z"]], "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/hernandez-demands-accountability-fiscal-board-their-cost-their-duration-and"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.502464059740305, "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"}