Wednesday marks the 18-month anniversary since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. And the hits just keep coming. More than one-third of the island’s residents – 1.35 million – receive food aid. But they now face deep cuts to this essential aid, averaging 25 percent per family, but in some cases as much as 42 percent.

Why has this happened? Because the Senate leadership refused to take up a disaster relief package that included aid for Puerto Rico. Now the Senate is away on recess, but when they come back on March 25, they need to take up a disaster aid bill that includes food and other aid for Puerto Rico, as well as aid to several states recovering from hurricanes, fires, and floods.

More than half of all Puerto Rican children are living in poverty; about four in ten Puerto Ricans overall. But Puerto Rico does not get open-ended food assistance as states do; when disaster or economic hard times strike, Congress must approve more funds.  Still struggling to recover from Hurricanes Maria and Irma, Puerto Rico needs this help. Your letter to your senators will show that people nationwide care about the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico, and are demanding that the shameful cuts are reversed.

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