Tell Congress: Help the people of Puerto Rico NOW!

Puerto Rico is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. But today, Donald Trump said he wants to pull back federal relief workers from the island.

Congress could step up where Trump is failing. But we need your help to convince it to act!

Tell your Representatives: Help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria!

Dear Representative,

I am deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis currently taking place in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as communities attempt to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. In solidarity with the victims and with the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), I urge you to take all necessary additional steps to alleviate the suffering, including those priorities outlined in the letter NHLA sent you and the President on October 1, 2017. In particular, I urge Congress to provide aid to meet the estimated need of over $70 billion in assistance without strings attached.

The relief bill must provide the funding and economic tools necessary to get the long-struggling Puerto Rican economy back on its feet in the wake of this disaster of epic proportions.

The relief package must fully address the current crisis while protecting the rights and safeguards that communities will rely on to rebuild their infrastructure and economy. The people of Puerto Rico should lead these recovery efforts with the goal of a more resilient Puerto Rico. This means that a recovery bill cannot undermine or eliminate environmental, labor, public engagement, and civil rights safeguards such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Far from creating delays in recovery, climate resilience and safeguards like NEPA make infrastructure stronger and keep local communities in the driver’s seat of development.

Moreover, without access to clean water, electricity, and communication the islands will need more time than currently allotted to rebuild. Consequently, a relief package that fully answers the depth of need will also extend the following deadlines. The package should extend FEMA’s deadline for filing disaster relief claims from 60 to 120 days. It should also waive the federal matching requirements for FEMA disaster public assistance programs beyond the 180 days already approved. In addition, the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program, Earned Income Tax Credit, and Child Tax Credit programs must be made available to Puerto Rico. With so many having lost their homes, livelihoods, and access to healthcare, the federal ceiling on Medicaid for Puerto Rico must be eliminated and funded on a parity basis.

As evidenced by the influx of supplies to San Juan and limited manpower to distribute them, we urge the deployment of significantly more U.S. military personnel, and that the full communications, logistics, and engineering supports of the U.S. Armed Forces be made available to Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan as he oversees relief efforts.

There has been bipartisan support expressed for aid for Puerto Rico, including from leadership in both the House and the Senate. We urge Congress to work expeditiously to provide comprehensive and clean emergency relief of more than $70 billion that addresses the crisis in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands. This relief must alleviate the suffering and provide for the future without compromising the long term development of the islands or the safeguards their residents deserve.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.

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