Cuomo rallies for federal relief package for Puerto Rico
Gov. Cuomo continue to call on Congress to fund a $94.4 billion disaster relief package for Puerto Rico at a rally in the Bronx on Saturday, more than four months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.
“What we do today will determine the future of Puerto Rico — that is how serious this is,” Cuomo declared at a South Bronx nonprofit center.
Congress passed a $36.5 billion aid package in October 2017 that included funding for hurricane and wildfire relief to Puerto Rico and others, but the island says this isn’t enough.
The $94 billion aid package requested by Puerto Rico includes $31 billion to rebuild homes and another $18 billion for electricity.
The guv criticized the federal response to the crisis on the island, where nearly half a million people still don’t have power.
Cuomo was joined by his Puerto Rican counterpart, Gov. Ricardo Rosello, and a crowd of roughly 200 people.
Many rally attendees were from friendly labor unions. One protester crashed the private event and was quickly escorted out.