Sign the petition: Increase Puerto Ricans’ access to lifesaving hurricane recovery funds
Trump
Over a year ago, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico resulting in over 3,000 deaths. Now, as Puerto Rican communities try to rebuild, Trump continues to stifle access to critical federal recovery funds rightly owed to the Puerto Rican people. Trump’s repeated false claims that Puerto Rico has supposedly received more money than the states for recovery and his claim that funding to the island’s most vulnerable individuals is “excessive and unnecessary” couldn’t be farther from the truth. Puerto Ricans deserve funding to address the scope of the damage Hurricane Maria has caused to families and local infrastructure.
In April, Senate Democrats decided to vote down a broad recovery bill (not just aid to Puerto Rico) because they argue Puerto Rico deserves more than the $600 million allocated for food stamps. While funds to support food stamps are important, $600 million will not address the scope of hurricane damage and humanitarian need in Puerto Rico. We need our senators to continue to stand strong against Trump's lies and inaction, and not settle for false solutions and band-aid measures when our communities are on the line. We need real action. If we allow the president to choose which group of U.S. citizens “deserve” federal help after a natural disaster, today it is Puerto Rico and tomorrow might be California or Alabama. Disaster relief should be provided to ALL U.S. communities. Now that the House and Senate have passed $1.4 billion in disaster aid, we must call on Trump to sign the legislation into law.
All leaders must understand that funding a just recovery is part of what climate action means. Tell Trump: Fund recovery and climate resilience for Puerto Rican communities.
As a result of a lack of access to necessary and appropriated funds, the Puerto Rican government has been forced to slash food stamps for over one million Puerto Ricans and is not equipped to provide recovery support to coastal Puerto Rican communities. With this year’s hurricane season now here, it is a critical time for us to demand our lawmakers in the House pass a disaster relief package that recognizes the vast amounts of money required to support Puerto Rican families. We call on the House to provide Puerto Rico with funds to address:
- Building and transportation infrastructure
- Physical and mental health care
- Food assistance expansion
Sign the petition: ensure that Puerto Ricans have access to food stamps and hurricane recovery funds.
Participating Organizations:
CREDO Action
Daily Kos
Million Hoodies Movement for Justice
Power4PuertoRico coalition
Power Shift Network
198 Methods
350.org
Sponsored by
Additional Sponsors
To:
Trump
From:
[Your Name]
It is important that Puerto Rican families have access to food and hurricane recovery resources. $1.4 billion is a good start. With hurricane season now here, we urge you to sign the passed aid bill that begins to address the scope of recovery need in Puerto Rico and not to allow political considerations to get in the way of the critical disaster relief, reconstruction funding, physical and mental health care, and food assistance expansion needed across many communities in the U.S. Furthermore, we look to you as the president to provide long-term climate resilient solutions to Puerto Rico and other U.S. communities that are on the frontline to climate change.