San Juan— Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz said Tuesday there is no urgency to confirm an interim secretary or permanent replacement at the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) following the resignation of Sebastián Negrón Reichard, adding that existing executive authority is sufficient to keep pending transactions moving.
“Following the abrupt departure of Sebastián Negrón Reichard as head of the DDEC, the signing of contracts, decrees, and other pending matters was left unresolved,” Rivera Schatz wrote on social media.
The Senate president said he was informed that it was “urgent” for the Senate to approve an interim DDEC secretary so that pending transactions requiring authorization and signature would not stall.
Rivera Schatz pushed back on that framing, pointing instead to Administrative Bulletin OE-2025-008, an executive order signed by Gov. Jenniffer González Colón on January 17, 2025, which grants broad authority to the Secretary of the Governor’s Office to oversee daily operations of the Executive Branch, issue instructions on activities and projects, establish executive measures, and carry out any other responsibilities delegated by the governor.
“Executive Order OE-2025-008, issued by our Governor on January 17, 2025, grants the Secretary of the Governor’s Office VERY BROAD authority to address this matter. See subsections 2, 10, 12, and 20,” Rivera Schatz said.
The Senate president argued that as long as the pending transactions comply with the law and ethical standards, the Secretary of the Governor’s Office has full authority to authorize them without Senate action.
“As long as it is in accordance with the law and ethics, the Secretary of the Governor’s Office can authorize them. There are no excuses to delay the signatures — unless, as I suspect, the allegations made by Attorney Sebastián Negrón Reichard that led to his resignation are absolutely true,” Rivera Schatz said.
The remarks carry pointed subtext. Negrón Reichard resigned last week amid reports of internal disputes over institutional independence and the scope of executive control over the agency. Rivera Schatz’s comment — that delays in signing would suggest the resigned secretary’s allegations have merit — signals that the Senate leadership views the situation as unresolved beyond a simple vacancy.
Rivera Schatz also addressed the broader question of executive authority, noting that whoever sought sweeping powers has held them since January 2025 and should exercise them responsibly.
“Whoever wanted ‘absolute and unlimited’ powers has had them since January 2025. Let them exercise those powers — with the caution and decency that Attorney Negrón Reichard correctly demanded,” he said.
The Senate president closed by reaffirming his position on timing: the chamber will address the interim appointment or permanent nomination when it is formally submitted, but sees no need to act on an emergency basis.
“There is no rush regarding the interim or replacement at the DDEC. We will address it diligently when it is submitted — but in the meantime, Executive Order OE-2025-008 ‘resolves’ it,” Rivera Schatz concluded.
The DDEC oversees economic development policy, business incentives, and commercial transactions for the island. The agency’s leadership vacancy comes at a sensitive moment, with Puerto Rico navigating a record tariff burden and ongoing efforts to attract manufacturing investment amid shifting U.S. trade policy.
