Darren Soto and Ritchie Torres ask Joe Biden to expedite an order in favor of a prompt disbursement of funds for Puerto Rico

by

Washington DC– The Puerto Rican Democratic Congressmen Darren Soto and Ritchie Torres they asked the president today Joe Biden to speed up its pledge to order a prompt disbursement of the funds pledged to Puerto Rico to avoid the damage Hurricane Maria.

Biden is expected to sign an order for U.S. government offices, such as the Federal Department of Housing (HUD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), starting mid-week to facilitate the delivery of funds to the government. from Puerto Rico.

“We believe that an executive order or other executive action is the best option to address these concerns. As you know, hurricanes Irma and María devastated the entire island of Puerto Rico more than three years ago. “Soto and Torres said in a letter sent to President Biden today.

In his plan for Puerto Rico, as a presidential candidate, Biden immediately pledged to order the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and all federal agencies involved in the reconstruction of Puerto Rico “to work closely together. with Puerto Rico and the municipal authorities to ensure that federal funds are deployed efficiently, effectively and in full compliance with corresponding laws and regulations ”.

Biden will also direct HUD to remove onerous restrictions exclusive to Puerto Rico that restrict access to funds from its community development program (CDBG-DR), the campaign plan said.

Although more than $ 67,000 million has been pledged to Puerto Rico to mitigate damage primarily caused by Hurricane Maria and rebuild the island, the payouts are about a third of the allocations. “The people of Puerto Rico have waited a long time for these funds to be released,” said Soto and Torres, elected by the Florida and New York counties respectively.

In an interview on Thursday, Puerto Rican Democratic Congressman Nydia Velázquez (New York) said the White House is “aware of the commitments made by Joe Biden,” including an order to pay out the funds promptly, an interaction task force announced. revitalize the island and promote parity. in programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and food aid.

.Source