Demings Calls for Increase in Federal Funding for Puerto Rico Due to Hurricane Fiona

Demings Calls for Increase in Federal Funding for Puerto Rico Due to Hurricane Fiona

How much devastation did Hurricane Maria cause?

Jackson Bakich
Jackson Bakich
|
September 21, 2022

While the island of U.S. territory Puerto Rico is recovering from Hurricane Fiona since it made landfall on Sunday, Senate hopeful and current member of Congress Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) is looking to make sure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing proper assistance to the island, including a 100% federal cost-share for emergency services.

Demings serves as the chairwoman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, which supervises and manages FEMA.

“I’m calling on FEMA to fully cost-share the emergency aid to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Fiona. Our aid to the island must be swift and it must be complete. Our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico need our support and we must answer. There is no excuse for our fellow Americans to suffer and wait for aid in the richest country on Earth,” said Rep. Demings.

Demings also mentioned that “Hurricane Fiona is yet another blow atop the still-ongoing recovery from Hurricane Maria. It’s been five years since Hurricane Maria and this time we must do better.”

As the 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria hitting Puerto Rico is occurring the exact same time as a hurricane is hitting the island, Demings is looking to “do better” after what she calls “an inadequate response,” presumably calling out the Trump administration for his approach to the devastation that hit Puerto Rico.

In a letter sent to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Demings stated, “I’m calling on FEMA to fully cost-share the emergency aid to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Fiona. Our aid to the island must be swift and it must be complete. Our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico need our support and we must answer. There is no excuse for our fellow Americans to suffer and wait for aid in the richest country on Earth. Hurricane Fiona is yet another blow atop the still-ongoing recovery from Hurricane Maria. It’s been five years since Hurricane Maria and this time we must do better.”

As of now, direct federal assistance is only covered by 75% of federal funding. With 100% protection Demings argues, the full protection will allow “supplies and assistance” to arrive and to arrive quickly.

Val Demings is looking to challenge Sen. Marco Rubio on November 8th.

Related Posts

Jackson Bakich

Jackson Bakich

Born in Orlando but raised in Lake County, Florida, Jackson Bakich is currently a senior at Florida State University. Growing up in the sunshine state, Bakich co-hosted the political talk radio show "Lake County Roundtable" (WLBE) and was a frequent guest for "Lake County Sports Show" (WQBQ). Currently, he is the Sports Editor of the FSView and the co-host of "Tomahawk Talk" (WVFS), a sports talk radio program covering Florida State athletics in Tallahassee.

Subscribe to the newsletter everyone in Florida is reading.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

More Related Posts