Part of a post-election series today exploring the impact on business in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico’s trade groups, nonprofits and agencies will lobby a very different Congress in 2027. Democrats captured the House and are on pace for 256 seats, according to CBS News projections, and hold at least 54 Senate seats. Hakeem Jeffries is expected to become speaker and Chuck Schumer to return as majority leader.
The island relies on a looser diaspora political coalition to influence stateside lawmakers. Census Bureau estimates for 2020 to 2024 count nearly 6 million people of Puerto Rican origin in the states, led by Florida with 1.2 million and New York with 1 million. Those delegations are where the work starts.
Familiar allies return, and one senior voice departs
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ritchie Torres won reelection in New York, as did Nellie Pou in New Jersey’s 9th District, according to Ballotpedia. In Central Florida, Darren Soto held a lead just outside the automatic recount margin, Osceola County elections officials said.
The biggest loss is Nydia Velázquez, who retires in January. She is the ranking Democrat on the Small Business Committee and chaired it twice, as reported by Roll Call. Newcomers will hold four of the 10 districts outside Florida with the most Puerto Rican residents, including her Brooklyn seat, won by Claire Valdez.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus projects 55 members next session, its largest in 50 years, with 12 newcomers, eight of them in seats Republicans held, widening the bloc the coalition can court.
The committees that will decide the island’s agenda
Frank Pallone of New Jersey said on Nov. 4 he will seek the Energy and Commerce chair. That panel writes Medicaid law, and under current law Puerto Rico’s federal match falls from 76% to 55% when its funding arrangement expires on Sept. 30, 2027. Medicaid and CHIP covered 1.3 million island enrollees in January, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Richard Neal and Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrats on Ways and Means and Appropriations, represent two of those 10 districts. In the Senate, Ron Wyden, expected to chair Finance, pledged on Nov. 4 to end the administration’s tariffs. Martin Heinrich, ranking Democrat on Energy and Natural Resources, is in line to oversee territorial policy as a Government Accountability Office audit finds $10.7 billion of $14.3 billion in grid funds undisbursed.
The harder map is at home. Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón, a Republican aligned with President Trump, has not commented on the results, while Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández, a Democrat, welcomed them on social media. With the presidential veto and the Senate filibuster intact, nothing passes on one party’s votes.
The groups that work the new majority while keeping Florida Republicans such as Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody engaged stand the best chance of closing a Medicaid deal before the September deadline.
The Mark E. Curry Family Foundation backs about 20 of the island’s 58 certified homes for children and women, aims to raise at least $800,000 at Oct. 23 event
