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The speaker of the island House of Representatives said Wednesday that the confirmation process for State Department secretary nominee Verónica Ferraiouli Hornedo has not been postponed.
House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez made the remark following a meeting with Gov. Jenniffer González Colón and Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz at La Fortaleza.
Méndez emphasized that the current issue with Ferraiouli’s confirmation process revolves around the submission of required documents.
“We cannot proceed without the necessary documentation,” the House leader said. “We have already held a courtesy meeting where we provided her with all the requirements from the House, and we are now waiting for the submission of the documentation. As of now, it has not been submitted, so we cannot move forward with the confirmation. We have maintained communication and are allowing her the time needed to provide all the information necessary for us to properly evaluate the governor’s appointment. I do not anticipate any problems; the nominee just needs to fulfill her responsibilities.”
Regarding the nomination of a new women’s advocate, Méndez acknowledged that the interim advocate, Madeline Bermúdez Sanabria, has performed well but expressed a desire to give the governor the opportunity to nominate a suitable candidate for the position.
Rivera Schatz, meanwhile, said he does not foresee any serious challenges that might hinder the confirmation of Janet Parra Mercado as secretary of justice. However, he remained noncommittal about whether Waldemar Quiles Pérez, the nominee for secretary of Natural and Environmental Resources, has sufficient votes for confirmation. Notably, none of the nominees have requested a meeting with the majority caucus.
“If you are referring to the Caucus, no, neither he [Quiles] nor any of his colleagues have asked for a meeting,” the Senate president said. “If any colleague requests it, we can certainly arrange it, but that hasn’t happened. I know that some nominees have been reaching out to senators from all parties, making themselves available, and answering questions. Whether he[Quiles] has the votes will be determined during the plenary session.”
Regarding Parra, Rivera Schatz said she came to see him and they discussed her nomination.
“There will always be a public hearing, where documents are filed and interviews conducted, as well as questions answered in that public setting,” he said. “These factors influence the senators’ decisions when it comes to voting. It’s not solely up to one senator to decide whether to confirm a nominee; the outcome depends on the collective judgment of the group.”
“At this moment, I do not anticipate any serious difficulties with any colleague, but I cannot predict how each person will ultimately vote, as we do not enforce caucus laws,” the Senate leader added. “So far, I do not expect any problems.”
