Speaker of the House of Representatives pledges to pass the “Law for a Dignified Retirement”

In his first day as president of the House of Representatives, Rafael “Tatito” Hernández Montañez, Announced that among his first steps will be the repeal of the Electoral Code and Labor Reform, as well as the approval of the House 120 Project that would give way to the “Law for a Dignified Retirement” as mechanism to protect the pensions of government employees.

“We will approve it and if they veto it and if the board does not attend to it, we will defend it in the courts or in the forums that are necessary”, Pointed out the chamber president in reference to the measure of the authorship of the representative of the New Progressive Party (PNP), Lourdes Ramos.

Yesterday, Sunday, about 18 labor organizations demanded approval of the measure before next February 10, the date by which the government must have delivered before federal Judge Laura Taylor Swain an agreement with creditors or an adjustment plan to review public debt, which would include cuts to public employee pensions.

The 120th House Project, co-authored by the representative of the Puerto Rican Independentist Party (PIP), Denis Márques, revives a measure that remained in the Legislature last year.

equally, Hernández Montañez signed his first executive order declaring a fiscal budget emergency in the Legislative Assembly in order to make the necessary adjustments. Among these adjustments is the elimination of duplication of expenses and functions in the superintendence and joint commissions.

“We have three joint committees, the Superintendency and the Chamber. In each of these entities there is a director of Finance and there is a director of Purchasing and Human Resources … all these directors are at the rate of $ 5,000 and $ 6,000, between five is $ 25,000, “Hernández Montañez argued.

He warned, however, that they will ensure that similar adjustment measures are also taken at the Executive level. “If we do it at home, we will ensure that the central government also adjusts to the financial reality of the Puerto Rican people,” he warned.

Hernandez also signed a second administrative order to ensure the continued disclosure of public information as a measure to prevent government corruption and conflicts of interest. “That the people of Puerto Rico have full and immediate access to the documents and information that accredit the operation and operation of this legislative body,” he stressed.

A third administrative order seeks, in turn, to establish the guidelines for the registration of intriguers. “The people want to know who they are, what they pursue, who they contribute and who they represent. Whatever has a legitimate purpose is to discuss with any of our 51 representatives who do it in the face of the people,” he said.

Hernández Montañez said that, in addition, a resolution has already been filed to investigate the Luma Energy contract.