Sen. Nelson, Rep. Soto Call on Trump Admin to Expedite Disaster Payments to Puerto Rico

Kissimmee, FL – In a letter sent today to President Trump, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09) called the federal government's response to the situation in Puerto Rico "slow, tepid and completely inadequate," and urged the administration to do more to expedite assistance to people on the island.

"Federal agencies in your administration have been slow to distribute the $89 billion of disaster aid Congress passed in February," the lawmakers wrote. "People in Puerto Rico are suffering, and bureaucratic red tape should never stop our fellow citizens from having access to electricity, safe homes, or a quality education."

A copy of the lawmakers letter is available here.

Below is the text of Nelson and Soto's letter to Trump:

April 3, 2018

The Honorable Donald Trump

President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

It has been over six months since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico and devastated homes, schools, and critical infrastructure throughout the island. Despite this, the timeliness and scope of the federal response has been slow, tepid, and completely inadequate. As American citizens continue to go without water or electricity, federal partners on the ground are beginning to pull out of some of the hardest hit areas. This is occurring while other aid has been slow to reach individuals and local governments. In order to pave the way for a speedy recovery, we urge your administration to do more in expediting disaster payments to Puerto Rico.

Recent news articles have shown a discrepancy in the administration of disaster aid to Puerto Rico compared to other states. This is completely unacceptable. Moreover, federal agencies in your administration have been slow to distribute the $89 billion of disaster aid Congress passed in February. People in Puerto Rico are suffering, and bureaucratic red tape should never stop our fellow citizens from having access to electricity, safe homes, or a quality education.

As Puerto Rico continues to recover, again, we ask that your administration do more to ensure that delays are not causing needless suffering on the island. Additionally, we ask that you provide us with a status update on how much of the $89 billion of disaster aid has been apportioned thus far, and what percentage of that amount has been allocated to Puerto Rico.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this request.

Sincerely,