Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico in September 2017 as a Category 4 hurricane, causing significant devastation across the island and the second-largest blackout in history. The Trump administration also contributed to an estimated 2,975 deaths because of its slow response, which failed to provide Puerto Rico with adequate resources or properly trained emergency personnel to match the severity of the situation on the ground.
As a result, American citizens are still reeling from the deadliest U.S.-based natural disaster in 100 years. Yet, President Donald Trump has signaled that his administration will honor only a small portion of funding originally promised, including suggesting disaster relief funds would be funneled toward building a border wall. In addition, Congress has repeatedly let opportunities to act lapse. Congress must take immediate action to help Puerto Rico and should consider the actions described below.
Congress must provide additional FY 2019 NAP funds
The Nutritional Assistance Program (NAP) is critical for Puerto Rican families—especially for children and the elderly, who are the largest groups of NAP recipients. In fact, an estimated 97 percent of NAP participants have a monthly income below half the poverty line. Others who live below the poverty line remain with limited or no access to these benefits due to the program’s limited funding.