Puerto Rico
When she was sworn into Congress in 1993, Congresswoman Velázquez made history as the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. A native of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, the Island and its people have long been dear to her heart.
In addition, many residents of New York's 7th District hail from Puerto Rico and have family or other close ties to the Island. From working to solve the Puerto Rican debt crisis to bolstering small businesses on the Island, the Congresswoman has been a longtime champion for Puerto Rico.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Congresswoman Velázquez has been at the forefront of recovery efforts. From traveling to the Island to assess the damage to demanding an immediate supplemental funding package, to calling for a more robust and effective response from the Trump Administration, she is urging Washington to provide swift and sustainable relief aid.
For a list of the relief efforts the Congresswoman is supporting, please click here.
The Congresswoman in Sunset Park, Brooklyn organizing relief aid for Hurricane Maria victims.
More on Puerto Rico
Washington D.C.— Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) led 12 members in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) urging the agency to include Puerto Rico in the American Housing Survey (AHS) to help address the ongoing housing crisis on the island.
Washington D.C.— Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) led a bicameral letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) calling on the agency to convene an independent technical advisory board to develop a comprehensive plan to improve climate resiliency and environmental justice for flood projects in Puerto Rico.
Washington, D.C.— Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) introduced the bipartisan Agricultural Representation for the United States Territories Act, which provides representation to the agricultural interests of the five U.S. territories on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory (NAREEE). All five of the territorial delegates are original cosponsors of this legislation: Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-U.S. Virgin Islands), Rep.
Washington D.C.— Today, Representative Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced a bicameral resolution calling for a sustainable, economically viable, and fair debt restructuring plan for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA).
Between 1974 and 2016, PREPA made numerous bond issuances, resulting in over $8 billion in current outstanding bond debt, the most debt of any Puerto Rican public entity.
Washington D.C.— Today, Reps. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sent a bicameral letter signed by Senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) calling on the agency to redirect disaster recovery funds to invest in renewable energy technologies in Puerto Rico.
Velázquez Introduces Bill to Help Make Federal Funding More Accessible for Puerto Rico
Washington D.C.— Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) led four Members of Congress in sending a letter that urges Leadership to avoid a looming Medicaid cliff in Puerto Rico by temporarily increasing Puerto Rico's FMAP to 100 percent and upholding the CMS' determination to extend the Medicaid annual funding cap for Puerto Rico at FY 2020 levels, or $2.9 billion, in any end of the year government funding package.
New York, NY – U.S. Representative Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) led a bicameral letter calling on the Biden Administration to establish a Recovery Task Force for Puerto Rico. The task force would be modeled after the successful Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force created by the Obama Administration in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The Puerto Rico Recovery Task Force's goal would be to provide a roadmap for the island's long-term recovery and ensure greater interagency cooperation.
Washington, D.C. - Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) announced today that the federal government will award $163 million to help restore the Caño Martín Peña in Puerto Rico, the first time the federal government has allocated federal funding to begin restoration efforts following years of inaction by the Trump Administration.
Washington, D.C.— Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ and Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee), Congressman Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-Ill. and vice chair of the House Natural Resources Committee), and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) have filed an amicus brief siding with plaintiff Liga de Ciudades, a Puerto Rican non-profit organization, in a lawsuit against the Financial Oversight and Management Board.