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

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 8^th.