Retirees send letter to federal court requesting government to withdraw appeal to Supreme Court
- Ayeza Díaz Rolón, EL VOCERO 18/03/2021
- https://www.elvocero.com/gobierno/acuden-a-casa-blanca-para-abogar-por-ssi/article_83532b52-8796-11eb-aef4-5f971cef921d.html
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) continues to knock on doors at the White House and the federal Department of Justice to withdraw the appeal in the lawsuit over the applicability of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in Puerto Rico.
This was stated yesterday by AARP Puerto Rico state director, José Acarón, after meeting with House Speaker Rafael "Tatito" Hernández at the Capitol. One of the organization's latest moves was to send a letter to the U.S. Justice Department on March 11 requesting that they withdraw the U.S. government's case against Luis Vaello Madero, which will be discussed in October at the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Here there are two avenues that AARP is taking to support the case of Puerto Rico. First, with the executive branch, we will be in conversations with the director of domestic policy at the White House, who told us that the public policy of U.S. President Joe Biden is that there should be parity (for the island in that program). What they tell us is that President Biden's public policy is that there must be a division between the political part and the legal part of constitutionality. That is why they recommend that we write the letter to the federal Justice Department," Acarón said in response to questions from EL VOCERO.
"He (Biden) has drawn the line and not just in this case, but it's going to be his style for the entire quadrennium. We understand that Justice will have to be divided from his partisan public policy influence," he added.
He said that it was on the recommendation of the White House that the AARP at the U.S. level ended up writing to the federal Justice Department. "We are following up with both the White House and the Department of Justice. Yesterday (Tuesday) we had a meeting with Lorraine Cortes, who is the commissioner of aging in New York, and we are seeing what other things can be done and our position is what else they need from us for this," he said.
Other methods are being evaluated
Acaron also commented that if the federal justice system does not drop the case before the federal Supreme Court, they will seek to become friends of the court, although he mentioned that they have until May 21 to do so.
By becoming a friend of the court, the AARP will be able to present its position on the case to the federal Supreme Court.
Hernandez, for his part, noted that the Chamber would also apply to become a friend of the court based on the AARP's plea.
"The important thing about the partnership between AARP and the Chamber is to give the application a face. Sometimes we talk about these issues and we don't see the human side or who is behind it. You see the numbers and you talk about life, but you don't talk about who this program is going to benefit. This will benefit people over 65 years of age who, for example, did not contribute to Social Security in their professional life, but have a pressing need," he said.
Federal Justice, under the administration of then-President Donald Trump, asked the Supreme Court to reverse the decision of Chief Judge Gustavo Gelpí of the Federal Court in Puerto Rico and the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which determined that Vaello Madero, a former New York resident who settled in Loíza, does not have to pay back $28,000 in SSI because he did not report that he had moved to the Island - where he does not receive benefits from that program - thus reversing a decision by the Social Security Administration.