US Democratic lawmakers pledge to help speed up disaster recovery in Puerto Rico

Source: AP

Updated 5:21 PM EDT, June 12, 2026


SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A group of U.S. Democratic lawmakers promised Puerto Ricans on Friday that they would try to speed up the island’s sluggish recovery from destructive hurricanes and earthquakes, a process that relies heavily on federal funds.

Mississippi Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, ranking member of the House Committee of Homeland Security, said he and other legislators met with Puerto Rico mayors as part of a two-day trip to the U.S. territory and heard their concerns including delays in reimbursements and project approvals. “We’ll move some of those concerns into corrective actions,” he said at a news conference. “The system should work better.”

Pablo José Hernández, Puerto Rico’s representative in Congress, said the island’s mayors flagged their concerns after former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem implemented a policy that DHS expenditures over $100,000 be personally approved by that office.

The policy further delayed recovery efforts in Puerto Rico from hurricanes Maria and Fiona, and a series of strong quakes that struck in late 2019 and early 2020. In April, new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin rescinded the rule, but challenges remain.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/puerto-rico-hurricanes-recovery-quakes-pablo-fema-18da5ca12a3a4df8ab4501874d43d57d