Representatives García and Espaillat Present a Bill to Generate Local Responsibility in the Recovery Process of Puerto Rico

Statement

oday Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04) and Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) presented the Community Driven Recovery Act for Puerto Rico , a bill that strengthens transparency and oversight of federal recovery efforts in Puerto Rico by establishing a Civil Society Task Force to ensure that Puerto Ricans have a place at the table in decisions about recovery efforts. The Community Driven Recovery Act for Puerto Rico :

Strengthens transparency and local oversight of recovery efforts and facilitates local participation in hiring and decision-making. It establishes a Civil Society Working Group of 13 members elected from different sectors of Puerto Rican society, including local government, communities, foundations, business, labor, and higher education.

Appoints a representative from the Civil Society Task Force within each recovery agency - including FEMA, HUD, the Central Office for Recovery and Reconstruction of Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rico Department of Housing - to oversee the agency's work and promote equity and inclusion.

"More than three years after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, the island is still devastated and Puerto Rican voices have been excluded from the federal recovery process. I am introducing the Community Driven Recovery Act for Puerto Rico to allow the people of Puerto Rico to contribute to the recovery process and hold relief agencies accountable, " said Congressman Garcia. "Ingenuity, initiative and mutual aid already exist in the communities of Puerto Rico; It is time for the federal government to include the local population and help the island to recover. This bill is a big step in the right direction. "

"The Trump administration's failed response to Hurricanes Maria and Irma and their destructive impact on Puerto Rico illustrated how valuable a local contribution would be to relief efforts after natural disasters. The programs implemented by this administration have continually faced deficiencies that remain evident, as thousands of people on the island are still homeless, with stable access to electricity and jobs, " said Congressman Espaillat."The Community Driven Recovery Act for Puerto Rico ensures that local communities have input, equity and greater transparency in the implementation of federal disaster relief programs. Ensuring local participation in decision-making when addressing federal disaster relief ensures that affected communities have a voice and are no longer excluded from decisions that directly affect them. "

"The local population must be included and empowered in the use of federal recovery funds. There is nothing more powerful or effective in ensuring transparency and ensuring that federal dollars truly meet the needs of the people than giving a voice to community leaders. They know best what they need and, in Oxfam's experience around the world, they are by far the most effective and trusted voices pushing for good governance and accountability. We thank Representative Chuy García and Representative Adriano Espaillat for listening to civil society in Puerto Rico and working with us to develop this extraordinary bill. The ultimate goal is for community leaders to be key players, fully engaged and empowered, to ensure that the correct decisions are made regarding federal recovery funds, and that the people of Puerto Rico begin to truly see and feel the effects of an efficient and equitable recovery investment operation. It's time!"said Adi G. Martínez-Román, Senior Policy Analyst for Puerto Rico at Oxfam America.

"This bill is about transparency and accountability, but above all it provides a mechanism by which those affected have the ability to participate in the decision-making process. In addition, the bill calls for decentralizing federal recovery spending decisions as a means of ensuring the efficiency of a rebuilding process that has been excruciatingly slow. The introduction of this bill by Representative García demonstrates his commitment to an equitable recovery for the people of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC) of Chicago has had the honor of working alongside our representative on this bill. , "said Melissa Mark Viverito, Chief of Public Policy at the Puerto Rican Cultural Center.

"This bill represents the first attempt in the history of the United States Congress to allow Puerto Rican civil society to participate in federal funding. The Puerto Rican Agenda congratulates our Congressman Jesús 'Chuy' García for leading this historic action," said Jessie Fuentes, Co-Chair of the Puerto Rican Agenda.

" Power 4 Puerto Ricois proud to support the 'Community Driven Recovery Act for Puerto Rico' introduced by our friend, Congressman Jesús 'Chuy' García (D-IL). This legislation provides a much-needed framework for communities affected by the deadliest hurricane and longest power outage in U.S. history. Puerto Ricans should be the drivers of their own recovery process and this bill contributes to to a great extent to guarantee not only the participation of those directly affected, but also to hold the governments of the United States and Puerto Rico accountable for the investments in reconstruction that should help the island to prosper again. Thanks to our partners at Oxfam America and others for designing a means to a just recovery. said the director of Power 4 Puerto Rico, Erica González.

This bill is supported by dozens of organizations, including: Oxfam America; The Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC); Network for the Rights of Children and Youth; ESCAPE; Cooperativa Agroecológica Montessori (CoopAM), Caguas, Puerto Rico; LET'S GO Puerto Rico; Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust (PRSTRT); Impact Youth Inc. GC; Union of Workers of the Electric and Irrigation Industry (UTIER); National Coalition for Latinxs with Disabilities; Firm, United and Resilient with the Law, Inc .; Residents Council Residencial Luis Llorens Torres, Sector Youth Center; Legal Support to Community Entrepreneurship, Inc. (ALECI); Alliance for Progress; Seed Sense; Boricuas United in the Diaspora (BUDPR); Resiliency Law Center, UPR Law School; Power 4 Puerto Rico; Puerto Rico for the Right to a Decent Housing (PRODEV); Pro Environment Sustainable Organization; Hispanic Housing Development Corporation (HHDC); Active Voice, Inc .; Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito de Rincón; Surfrider Foundation Rincón; Our School, Inc .; Universities Space Research Association (USRA); Community Foundation of Puerto Rico; Renacer Social Corp .; Puerto Rican Police Association in Chicago; and The National Puerto Rican Agenda.

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