P.R. congresswoman backs Scott
Standing before a group of Puerto Rican supporters in a Kissimmee restaurant, the island’s sole representative in Congress on Tuesday announced her support of Gov. Rick Scott in his run for the U.S. Senate.
Jenniffer González, Puerto Rico’s non-voting resident commissioner, praised Scott’s role in the island’s recovery negotiations with the federal government and for welcoming thousands of Puerto Rican evacuees to the state.
“Every time we are calling FEMA or any federal agency, there’s Governor Scott helping us out,” said González, a Republican and member of Puerto Rico’s prostatehood party. “And that’s the kind of leader, in the moment of need, that you want. Someone that can answer that call and is there with you no matter what.
At Scott’s event with members of the Puerto Rican community at El Cilantrillo Cafe & Restaurant Tuesday morning, the governor also backed statehood as a solution to Puerto Rico’s lack of representation.
“They took a vote. It was passed. We need to respect the will of the people of Puerto Rico... we have got to make sure they’re represented,” he said, referencing two votes on the island in 2012 and in 2017 with positive results for statehood. Both have been disputed by opposing political parties on the island for the wording of the referendums.
González is one of the island’s most ardent supporters of statehood, and has spoken on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to advance the cause.
“I’m the only one elected for the people of Puerto Rico. I represent 4 million Puerto Ricans on the island but I can’t vote on the floor of the House. That’s the reason we need a senator that can vote and represent the people, not just in Florida but the people in the island,” González said.
González said she was grateful for Florida’s treatment of thousands of evacuees from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, waiving school requirements to streamline student registration. She also credited Scott for providing job opportunities for Puerto Rican transplants.
“He also gave them the opportunity to find housing, to get food and shelter. In a moment of need, that’s the hand you need,” González said. “I’m very proud to have that kind of a leader as a governor, but I want that kind of a leader in the Senate of the United States.”
Florida Democratic lawmakers criticized the event, accusing Scott of pandering to the Puerto Rican community while voicing their support for the governor’s opponent, Sen. Bill Nelson.
“Rick Scott kicking Puerto Rican evacuees out of his last event in Kissimmee tells everyone all they need to know about where he truly stands,” said Sen. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee. The activist group Organize Florida said several Puerto Rican families were denied entry to a Scott event last month.
Scott “created a housing crisis by cutting affordable housing funds,” Soto said. Sen. Victor Torres, D-Kissimmee, also blamed Scott for cutting funds from housing, healthcare, and education.
“Rick Scott did little more than visit the island for a photo op and now, as he runs for Senate, he continues to use this issue to help his political career,” Torres said.