jonathan betts, al jazeera >>> and when it comes to puerto rico's debt crisis, many island residents are blaming the u.s. government for their dire straits. >>reporter: out of sight of its beautiful beaches and tourist attractions, puerto is hurting. services cut, taxes raised. there's no question that years of overspending by the government is partly to blame but many see another culprit. how much is congress to blame? >> very much so. >>reporter: he's puerto rico's delegate for the island. there are some members on the hill that say until puerto rico cleans up its own financial mess we're not going to give them money. >> who are they to preach to us? look at their debt. we're simply asking for fair treatment and they should ask themselves why puerto rico is in this shape. >>reporter: puerto rico became a u.s. territory in 1898 and since then, congress has given and taken away. in the 1970s, the u.s. government helped attract business to puerto rico leading to a booming manufacturing sector. particularly pharmaceutical companies. 20 years later, congress began phasing out the tax br