LIBRE went to Puerto Rico. Here’s what we found.

Puerto Rico esta next level. On another level.

Boricuas have the drive, the grit, las ganas de echar pa’ lante.

Yet, many government policies are making it difficult for Boricuas to reach their full potential.

The LIBRE Initiative went to the island to learn more.

We met with residents, stakeholders, and Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón about the big issues shaping the island’s future.

Fix the grid, grow the economy

One of the biggest issues of concern on the island is energy.

Puerto Ricans are paying almost twice as much for electricity as Americans on the mainland, and they’re not getting their money’s worth.

The island’s electrical grid is decades old and unreliable, leaving Puerto Ricans without power for hours at a time.

It’s hard to build a business or even raise a family if you don’t know when the lights are going to be on. It makes it harder to run a business, attract investment, and bring better-paying jobs to the island.

Puerto Rico needs a new, up-to-date energy grid to have a prosperous, thriving economy.

We met Gov. González-Colón at her official residence, La Fortaleza, and with the island’s energy czar, Josué Colón Ortíz, at the Central Termoeléctrica de San Juan, one of the biggest energy plants on the island.

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Both of them painted a clear picture of how big government is holding the island back.

After Hurricane Maria hit the island in 2017, the island’s outdated grid needed rebuilding, so the Puerto Rican government used funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to restore its infrastructure.

However, using those funds automatically triggers a cumbersome process established under the National Environmental Policy Act, meaning restoration work on energy projects is paused for years while bureaucrats review the paperwork.

Over and over again, people pointed to the same recurring problem: Washington red tape is slowing down repairs and making energy projects harder to build.

The permitting process is a bureaucratic nightmare, forcing companies to spend years on paperwork instead of breaking ground and delivering the energy grid Boricuas deserve.

Health care that works for Puerto Rico

And while energy was one of the biggest issues on the island, it wasn’t the only one.

We talked about affordability, health care, jobs, permitting, and the ways government regulations are slowing the island’s economic growth.

Health care stood out because Puerto Rico already plays a major role in the industry, exporting over $50 billion worth of medicine across the world and creating tens of thousands of jobs.

Yet, 360 to 500 physicians leave the island every year due to a combination of economic anxieties and onerous government regulations.

As a result, there are fewer providers and fewer options for Boricuas to get the health care they deserve, raising per-patient costs for Medicaid and Medicare and leading to an overuse of emergency rooms across the island.

That’s why giving patients more power by expanding programs like health savings accounts, direct primary care, and telehealth will make health care more affordable and accessible for millions of Americans.

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More freedom, more opportunity

Puerto Rico, like all of America, is filled with big dreams and even bigger talents.

There are people trying to build businesses and create opportunities.

But too often, they run into bureaucracy, high costs, and outdated infrastructure that gets in the way of the people.

Our country was founded on the principle that government exists to serve the people — not the other way around.

Americans, both on the island and on the mainland, are worried about the future of the country.

They want a future where the American Dream is possible, where there is opportunity, and where the principles that founded America are still alive.

At LIBRE, we’re committed to pushing for policies that will open up countless opportunities to the people of Puerto Rico.

A stronger Puerto Rico means more opportunity, more investment, and a stronger future for the island and the United States overall.

It’s up to us to make that future a reality.