{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://soto.house.gov/media/press-releases/soto-hernandez-introduce-legislation-establish-affordable-care-act-exchange-0", "Soto, Hern\u00e1ndez Introduce Legislation to Establish an Affordable Care Act Exchange in Puerto Rico", "2025-12-04", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Darren Soto", "S001200", "soto.house.gov", "soto", "https://soto.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09) and Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez introduced H.R. 6479, the Puerto Rico Affordable Care Act (PRACA)\u2014legislation to establish an Affordable Care Act exchange, also known as an Obamacare exchange, in Puerto Rico and allow the island to receive the same treatment as the 50 states and Washington, D.C.\n\n\u201cFor far too long, Puerto Ricans have been treated as second-class citizens\u2014despite being part of the United States. I\u2019m proud to partner with Resident Commissioner Hern\u00e1ndez on this initiative to allow those on the island to receive equal treatment when it comes to healthcare access,\u201d said Rep. Soto. \u201cOur hope is that this bill will open the door to key reforms and lead to a system in which Puerto Ricans have access to tiered plans, tax premiums, and cost-sharing reductions.\"\n\n\u201cToo many families in Puerto Rico navigate a system without the cost-saving tools available elsewhere. Establishing an ACA exchange gives the island the federal support to expand coverage, lower costs, and strengthen our healthcare network. This bill brings Puerto Rico into the proven framework that serves millions of Americans,\u201d said Resident Commissioner Hern\u00e1ndez.\n\nCurrently, Puerto Rico\u2019s healthcare exchange is not ACA-equivalent and does not offer \u201cBronze, Silver, Gold\u201d plans or tax premiums and cost-sharing reductions. This bill would provide greater healthcare access, especially for small business owners, their employees, and young people. With approximately 43% of Puerto Ricans living under the poverty line\u2014the highest poverty rate in the United States\u2014it is critical for Congress to act in order for those on the island to have the same access to healthcare as those on the mainland.\n\nFor the full text of the bill, please click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-15T06:52:46Z", "2026-06-15T06:54:33Z"]], "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://soto.house.gov/media/press-releases/soto-hernandez-introduce-legislation-establish-affordable-care-act-exchange-0"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7932611517608166, "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"}