Column by José Enrique Fernández originally published in El Nuevo Día.
It was last April 10, a Good Friday and in the middle of quarantine, that we learned of the decision of the First Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which ruled that it was unconstitutional to exclude residents of Puerto Rico from Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The ruling reaffirmed the decision of Judge Gustavo Gelpí made in 2019, regarding the case of Mr. José Luis Vaello Madero.
Since its implementation in 1972, Supplemental Security Income excluded Puerto Rico from receiving this benefit in a completely discriminatory and unconstitutional act.
Finally, this determination recognizes the right to equal protection of the laws, protected by the Constitution of the United States, to which Puerto Ricans are a party. This undoubtedly marks a precedent in favor of our rights as citizens. Now it is our duty to clearly know our realities in order to demand equal rights. Here is our reality:
- Approximately 1,724,760 people in Puerto Rico live below the poverty level. This amount corresponds to 46% of the population. Compare this to 11% for the entire United States, and 19.7% in Mississippi, considered the poorest state in the nation. Our poverty levels are absurdly high.
- If we were to measure the poverty level for each municipality individually, we would see rates of up to 70% below the poverty level in Puerto Rico.
But, in my opinion, what affects Puerto Rico the most is that many federal programs that provide social and economic benefits or assistance are either NOT applicable in Puerto Rico or provide limited, minor or subject to a maximum, contrary to how residents and citizens are treated in the States, and even in some unincorporated territories such as Puerto Rico.
For example, it has been estimated that if Puerto Rico were to receive all the funds it is entitled to, in parity with the States, we would have the following additional annual amounts in these three (3) federal programs alone:
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program: $1.65 billion
- This program, if applicable to Puerto Rico, would provide approximately 305,000 - 354,000 eligible individuals. This would mean that these individuals could receive additional assistance of up to $783 per month per individual and up to $1,175 per month per family. Interestingly, the Northern Mariana Islands, another unincorporated territory like Puerto Rico, receives approximately $525.69 per month per beneficiary.
- PAN Program: $1.25 billion
- Medicaid program: $1.6 billion
- Total, annual benefits from these programs = $5.30 billion
It is time to demand our rights as American citizens.