Here's How 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,' Lin-Manuel Miranda Tackle Puerto Rico's Massive Debt Crisis
Lin-Manuel Miranda is using his talent to bring awareness about Puerto Rico and the island's massive debt crisis, and he is offering U.S. members of Congress tickets to his smash Broadway hit "Hamilton" for their assistance.
Appearing on a recent episode of HBO's "Last Week's Tonight" with host John Oliver, Miranda rapped, "Along with suicidal tax incentive declarations, 'Yeah, we'll pay your bonds first, close the hospital, f--- the patients/This is an island, 100 miles across/The hurricane is coming and we're running up a loss."
Puerto Rico's Debt Tops $70 Billion
Indeed, the $70 billion in public debt Puerto Rico now finds itself on the hook for, leading to spiraling poverty rates and school closures, is no laughing matter. And no one knows that more than the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Hamilton" creator.
He recently went before Congress to make a teary-eyed plea for leaders to enact legislation that would move toward a solution.
"If I can help in any way, if I can get more eyeballs to this crisis, it's a fixable problem," he told the panel.
Miranda Insists Statehood Debate Can Wait
So dire is the situation, Miranda told Oliver the "great debate" about statehood can wait until another day. Later, he made a personal plea to House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc.
"Paul Ryan, I'll come sing 'Hamilton' at your house," he said. "I'll do-si-do with Pelosi, I'll wear my 'Hamilton' blouse. Your citizens are suffering, stop the bleeding, stop the loss. Help Puerto Rico, it's just 100 miles across."
The 36-year-old Miranda and fellow Latina Gina Rodriguez ("Jane The Virgin") recently joined Pope Francis on Time Magazine's 2016 "Most Influential People" list.
In announcing the honor, famed director J.J. Abrams described his "Hamilton" performance as "one of the best" productions you'll ever see. He later adds the work has cemented Miranda's status as "one of the most miraculous creative minds of our time."
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