Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi (D) signed a bill on Tuesday intended to decrease the territory’s debt by half, but critics fear it could result in harsh austerity measures, The Hill reported.
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Puerto Rico’s Senate and House approved a bill Tuesday that would slash the central government’s debt by half but has also sparked protests and led to fiery exchanges between lawmakers and a federal control board that oversees the U.S. territory’s finances, the Associated Press reported.
The judge overseeing Puerto Rico’s bankruptcy said confirmation hearings set for November on the territory’s debt restructuring plan will remain in place, even after the island’s Senate last week failed to pass a key piece of legislation needed to finalize the plan, WSJ Pro Bankruptcy reported. Judge Laura Taylor Swain at a virtual hearing yesterday in the U.S.
The judge overseeing Puerto Rico’s record bankruptcy ordered Governor Pedro Pierluisi, the island’s political leaders and its financial oversight board to participate in a conference call on Monday after lawmakers failed to enact legislation to restructure the commonwealth’s debt, Bloomberg News reported.