Supreme Court says Congress can deny federal disability benefits to Puerto Rico residents
CBSN
Washington — The Supreme Court on Thursday said Congress is not required to extend federal disability benefits to residents of Puerto Rico, finding that denying the payments, which are by law available only to residents of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, does not violate the Constitution.
The court ruled 8-1 against the bid by Puerto Rico residents to receive equal treatment under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh delivering the opinion for the majority. Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the only dissenter in the case, known as United States v. Vaello Madero.
The safety-net program, signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1972, provides monthly payments to older Americans and people with disabilities or blindness.
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