This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The endless TV ads telling us Rep. Rob Bishop is betraying America by trying to resolve Puerto Rico's debt crisis are simply false. This is not a taxpayer bailout. This is not going to hurt innocent investors. These are scare tactics designed to kill this bill and protect the profits of the groups funding the ad. If this bill fails, those groups hope to collect when Washington is forced to actually bail out Puerto Rico. And we'll foot the bill.

We are the Rev. Anita Miner, deacon at All Saints Episcopal Church, and the Rev. David Nichols, pastor of Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church. We are part of a national network of clergy and faith communities called Jubilee USA. We want Puerto Rico legislation that helps end this debt and humanitarian crisis.

Nearly 60 percent of Puerto Rico's children live in poverty. Nine Puerto Ricans leave every hour in search of work on the mainland. Congress has a responsibility to act — to end this crisis and prevent the next one. The bill Bishop is pushing still needs some tweaks, but it's not a bad start. He should be praised for trying, not vilified.

Anita Miner and David Nichols

Salt Lake City