NYSBA President Hank Greenberg issued the following statement on
the ongoing crisis in Puerto Rico:
“Thousands of our fellow American citizens in Puerto Rico continue
to suffer at the hands of Mother Nature. The island, which is still recovering
from the ravages of Hurricane Maria in September 2017, was rocked this week by
two powerful earthquakes. The quakes caused further human suffering due to widespread
power outages and property losses.
In the wake of Maria, Congress appropriated federal funding for
the island’s reconstruction. Today, over two years later, the
residents of Puerto Rico are still waiting for these promised
funds. The federal government continues to hold up the disbursement
of a promised $8.3 billion in Community Development Block Grant funding for
Disaster Recovery (CBDG-DR).
I join with our delegation’s congressional leaders, including U.S.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, in
calling for the immediate release of the remaining money Puerto Rico deserves
and so desperately needs.
I urge the federal government to live up to its promise to its citizens
in Puerto Rico.
Time and again, Governor Andrew Cuomo has demonstrated New York
stands in solidarity with the people of Puerto Rico, and I applaud his continued
efforts to assist them - including this week’s deployment of New York Power
Authority experts to assist with the quick restoration of power.”
Contact: Dan Weiller518/369-5550
[email protected]
