FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 21, 2022
CONTACT:
Raul Contreras
rcontreras@hispanicfederation.org
Take Action for Puerto Rico!, Senate Majority Leader Schumer Applaud Congress for Prioritizing Puerto Rico in FY23 Omnibus Bill
WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, December 20, Congress released a sweeping $1.7 trillion 2023 Appropriation bill. In response, Hispanic Federation’s President and CEO Frankie Miranda issued the following statement:
“A deal to fund government services for millions of Americans was critical before heading into the new year. A status quo funding bill would have been devastating to the American people, including Latino communities. We applaud Congress for heading off Puerto Rico’s healthcare crisis by allocating $3.65 billion in annual Medicaid funding for five years, including a critical increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP). With Puerto Rico’s high poverty rate, repeated natural disasters, and ongoing mental health needs, allowing a massive reduction in healthcare funding would have had devastating consequences, forcing the island to impose severe, harmful cuts to its Medicaid programs on one million low-income Puerto Ricans.
The new bill also includes $1 billion in funding to increase Puerto Rico’s energy resilience and improve the electric grid, long fought for by Hispanic Federation and congressional champions, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senators Bob Menendez and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as Representatives Raul Grijalva and Nydia Velazquez. These grants will allow low- and moderate-income households to purchase and install renewable energy, energy storage, and other grid technologies. We thank Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for prioritizing the people of Puerto Rico in the funding bill.
But our work on behalf of the people of Puerto Rico is not done. We will continue working together until we have achieved full parity in federal benefits for Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable.”
Statement from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer:
“From funding for school meals and public housing to highways and universities, Puerto Rico stands to win big in the end-of-year government funding bill. And after years of pushing for the grid our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico are demanding – one powered by solar that can rebound quickly after a storm hits – I am proud to share that I have secured $1 billion to make that a reality. This funding will provide low income families on the Island the resources they need to put solar on their roofs and batteries in their homes, something I’ve fought for alongside the Hispanic Federation for years. This is only the beginning. I will continue fighting for more money to build a resilient power system in Puerto Rico that meets the demands of its residents. Additionally, I helped secure a historic five-year investment in Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program that will ensure long-term stability for Puerto Rico’s hospitals, providers and health care system. The federal government must continue to do more to help our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico be treated fairly in how they access federal resources.”
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Hispanic Federation (HF) has worked since 1990 to uplift millions of Hispanic children, youth, and families through policy advocacy, innovative community programs, and strengthening Latino nonprofits. HF fulfills its mission to empower and advance Hispanic communities through extensive grant-making and programmatic initiatives and by working with its network of nonprofit leaders and institutions to educate policymakers, funders, the public, and media about the needs and aspirations of Latinos in the areas of education, health, immigration, civil rights, economic empowerment, civic engagement, Puerto Rico, and the environment.