TAKE ACTION
FOR PUERTO RICO!
IN THE MEDIA
For more information, contact us at media@hispanicfederation.org
Take Action for Puerto Rico! 2022 Campaign Kickoff Press Conference
September 20, 2022 — Exactly five years after Hurricane Maria caused catastrophic damages to Puerto Rico, and as the island is facing another severe weather emergency from Hurricane Fiona, Hispanic Federation continued the Take Action For Puerto Rico! campaign in a press conference today near the U.S. Capitol. Read more.
U.S. v. Vaello-Madero Supreme Court Case Press Conference
Nov. 9, 2021 — The #TakeAction4PR campaign held a press conference on the steps of the Supreme Court to tell the justices and the Biden Administration to stop defending discrimination against Puerto Rico in federal safety-net benefits.
Take Action for Puerto Rico! Campaign Launch: Full Press Conference
Sept. 20, 2021 — Four years after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, the Take Action for Puerto Rico! Coalition held a press conference to mark the ocassion and to call on the president and Congress to stop discriminating against Puerto Rico and pass the Territorial Equity Act.
October 11, 2022
National Journal
Puerto Ricans look to solar to keep hospitals running
The island territory is prone to blackouts, particularly during hurricanes. Advocates say rooftop solar could help medical facilities operate during electricity crises.
By Erin Durkin and Brian Dabbs
The aftermath of yet another hurricane crisis in Puerto Rico underscores the serious healthcare challenges posed by an outdated, unreliable electricity grid.
October 8, 2022
Al Dia
Hispanic Federation creates $100,000 fund for the Dominican Republic after Hurricane Fiona
The $100,000 will support various NGOs as they seek to support and deliver aid to impacted regions of the Dominican Republic following Hurricane Fiona.
By Eliot Olaya
The Hispanic Federation has announced a $100,000 emergency assistance fund to support non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are providing aid to those most impacted by Hurricane Fiona.
October 5, 2022
Politico
Biden shows Puerto Rico he cares. It may not be enough.
The territory's residents want reliable electricity, a functioning healthcare system and long-promised recovery aid from their 2017 hurricane disaster.
By Gloria Gonzales
People in Puerto Rico expressed gratitude that President Joe Biden came to their hurricane-struck island — but they’re skeptical that much will change in their struggles to rebuild their lives. Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation, which co-hosted Biden’s conversation with community leaders, said people had “enormous expectations” for the president’s visit.
October 4, 2022
Primera Hora
Non-profit organizations presented Biden with the other face of Puerto Rico
Hispanic Federation took on the task of organizing this meeting in coordination with the White House.
By First Hour
The Hispanic Federation (HF) organization was in charge of convening a group of leaders from five non-profit organizations to present yesterday in Ponce to the President of the United States, Joe Biden, the pressing problems that the country is experiencing after the passage of Hurricane Fiona and aggravated by the slow recovery from Hurricane Maria.
September 29, 2022
Politico
As Ian batters Florida, Puerto Ricans fear being forgotten
Residents of the island territory still suffer power and water outages from this month's Hurricane Fiona, along with damage lingering from Hurricane Maria in 2017.
By Gloria Gonzalez
Puerto Ricans still trying to recover from Hurricane Fiona have a plea for the Biden administration: Don’t forget about us.
Even before Florida suffered its own devastating hurricane landfall Wednesday, community and nonprofit leaders in Puerto Rico were criticizing the Biden administration for what they call missteps in the government’s response to Fiona. Those include not initially covering all of Puerto Rico in President Joe Biden’s declaration of a major disaster, as well as a slow flow of federal aid to communities that experienced catastrophic flooding after receiving 20 to 32 inches of rain.
September 21, 2022
ABC News
Groups Helping Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic During Hurricane Fiona
By Kiara Alfonseca
The Hispanic Federation has helped rebuild homes, health centers and farms, supply solar panels, and more through community-based projects following the devastation of Hurricane Maria. The federation responded then by supplying 25 relief planes that carried 7.4 million pounds of food, water, medicine, solar panels and resources to the island and coordinated with mayors on the ground to organize donation delivery.
September 20, 2022
Politico
Schumer Blasts Puerto Rico’s Utility, Grid Manager for Power Failures
By Gloria Gonzalez
“Instead of making it a resilient grid, a locally based grid, they’re busy fighting with each other,” Schumer said at a Hispanic Federation event on Tuesday in D.C. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is blaming “ongoing conflict” between the entities behind Puerto Rico’s electric grid and their energy regulators for the sorry state of the power supply on the island territory, where millions of people remain in the dark two days after Hurricane Fiona struck.
September 15, 2022
Yahoo
NESPRESSO'S INVESTMENT IN COFFEE SEEDLINGS AND REGENERATIVE AGRIGULTURE HELPS PUERTO RICO'S COFFEE INDUSTRY REBOUND TO PRE-2017 HURRICANE LEVELS
By Yahoo
"In the aftermath, Nespresso committed to invest $1 million and began working in partnership with the international development non-profit organization TechnoServe, the Hispanic Federation, and coffee farmers in Puerto Rico, to help rebuild the coffee industry. Nespresso has supported Hispanic Federation's efforts to distribute 2 million coffee seedlings to help farmers replace their coffee trees that were destroyed."
September 14, 2022
AP News
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Others Seek Puerto Rico Silver Lining
By Glenn Gamboa
The Category 4 storm, with winds reaching 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour), killed dozens immediately on Sept. 20, 2017 and researchers estimate thousands more died in the aftermath due to the lack of permanent shelter and power. According to a Hispanic Federation report released Wednesday, Hurricane Maria did an estimated $90 billion in damage to the island.
September 8, 2022
Nonprofit Quarterly Magazine
Five Years after Hurricane Maria, Energy Justice in Puerto Rico Gains Ground
By Jonathan Castillo Palanco and Ruth Santiago
"Hispanic Federation has not only supported over 100 community rooftop installation projects through grants, but also engages as a partner in project management and technical assistance work."
August 19, 2022
Energy Central
President Biden’s Climate Act: A Win for the US, for Puerto Rico and for the Planet
By Javier Rua-Jovet
In Puerto Rico, companies like Sunnova and Sunrun, as federal taxpayers, have always been able to pass on ITC savings to their Puerto Rico customers via their Third Party Ownership model - basically solar leases- so the restoration of the ITC is good news in itself. However, SESA, supported by key organizations and coalitions, primarily Hispanic Federation, Solar Access For All, the PR Chamber of Commerce, as well as Power4PR, focused its efforts on achieving a mechanism for direct use of the ITC by citizens of Puerto Rico, the territories and others little or no federal tax liability- and that end was actually achieved it in the House of Representatives.
June 7, 2022
El Nuevo Dia
Contrary to the Argument of the Federal Government, Puerto Ricans Make Multimillion-Dollar Contributions to the Treasury
By David Cordero Mercado and Marga Parés Arroyo
Aunque los residentes en Puerto Rico son excluidos del programa SSI bajo fundamentos contributivos, es cuantioso el aporte al fondo general estadounidense anualmente.
June 6, 2022
Vote Solar
Advocates Praise President Biden’s Executive Action on Solar Production
ANNOUNCED ACTIONS WILL JUMP-START SOLAR PROJECTS, RESTORE GROWTH TO INDUSTRY
By Odette Mucha
“Addressing the clean energy needs of frontline Latino communities in the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico is a top priority for Hispanic Federation,” says Laura M. Esquivel, Vice President of Federal Policy and Advocacy at Hispanic Federation. “Today’s executive actions will relieve the hold on much needed solar investments in Puerto Rico and Latino communities across the country. We will continue to work with Congress and this Administration to center the voices and needs of communities negatively impacted by systemic racism to ensure that these investments redress past inequities, prioritize the needs of Latino families and communities, and result in a just, equitable, and clean energy transformation.”
May 27, 2022
Pacific Daily News
Civil Rights Groups Argue that Insular Cases should be Overturned
By Jackson Stephens
Equally American joined with the Hispanic Federation, American Civil Liberties Union and LatinoJustice PRLDEF to say the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in United States vs. Vaello Madero highlighted the unequal treatment of those living in territories based on outdated racial laws.
May 24, 2022
NBC News
Civil Rights Groups: Overturn Racist Supreme Court Rulings used to Deny Benefits to Puerto Ricans
The Insular Cases, a string of century-old rulings suffused with racist language, are still being used to justify the unequal treatment U.S. territories endure.
By Nicole Acevedo
The American Civil Liberties Union, Hispanic Federation, LatinoJustice PRLDEF and Equally American joined forces Tuesday to launch a campaign to overturn the Insular Cases, which have long upheld a series of disparities when it comes to rights in the U.S. territories and the 50 states.
April 23, 2022
ABC News Extra
¿Cómo afecta la decision del Tribunal Supremo a los puertoriqueños que quedarían excentos del seguro social suplementario?
By Veronique Abreu Tañón
Cómo afecta la decision del Tribunal Supremo a los puertoriqueños que quedarían excentos del seguro social suplementario?
April 22, 2022
El Vocero
No from the Supreme Court of the United States to the Supplemental Social Security for the Island
Juez Gorsuch sostiene en su opinión “que los casos insulares descansan sobre cimientos podridos.”
By Eric de León
A juicio de la directora de Política y Abogacía de la Hispanic Federation en Puerto Rico, Maritere Padilla, la decisión valida el poder del Congreso para discriminar contra los puertorriqueños mediante la cláusula territorial, evidenciado en que la base que sustenta la negativa del Supremo federal en avalar el Seguro Social Suplementario para la Isla es puramente económica.
April 21, 2022
Latino Justice
Civil Rights Groups Condemn the Supreme Court’s Decision in U.S. v. Vaello-Madero
By Carolina González and Sarai Bejarano
Hispanic Federation and its allies recognize this decision as a setback, not a defeat, and vow to continue our collective work to ensure all U.S. citizens are treated equally and fairly regardless of where they live.
April 18, 2022
El Nuevo Dia
Child Tax Credit: Run Over Identity Verification Process in Puerto Rico
By Carmen Isaura Rodríguez
Este año, más personas que nunca son elegibles para el Crédito por Menor Dependiente o Child Tax Credit (CTC), un respiro financiero para afrontar el alza desmedida del costo de vida en Puerto Rico.
April 13, 2022
Vision Newspaper
Thousands of People in Puerto Rico will be Eligible to Receive the Dependent Minor Credit
By Admin
Ambos créditos tienen la capacidad de mejorar las condiciones económicas de las familias que viven bajos los niveles de pobreza, según los estudios que han publicado el Instituto del Desarrollo de la Juventud (IDJ) y Espacios Abiertos (EA). Es por esa razón, que EA e IDJ crearon, junto con Hispanic Federation, una alianza y están promoviendo a través de ReclamaTuDineroPR.com, un esfuerzo para orientar a las personas y facilitar la preparación gratuita de planillas alrededor de Puerto Rico. Las personas que interesen conocer más sobre estos créditos y cómo solicitarlos pueden acceder ReclamaTuDineroPR.com o llamar al 2-1-1 para informarse sobre los requisitos y dónde obtener ayuda gratuita.
April 11, 2022
El Nuevo Dia
Jill Biden encourages residents of Puerto Rico to claim credits for dependent children and work
La primera dama de Estados Unidos encabezó un evento de la Casa Blanca con el secretario de Educación, Miguel Cardona, y la congresista Nydia Velázquez
By Jose Delgado
La primera dama de Estados Unidos, Jill Biden, lideró hoy, lunes, un nuevo esfuerzo de la Casa Blanca para incentivar que los residentes en Puerto Rico reclamen los beneficios de los créditos por niños dependientes (CTC) y por trabajo, ampliados por la ley federal de rescate económico (ARPA, en inglés) y que representan cientos de millones de dólares adicionales para la economía de la Isla.
March 29, 2022
Telemundo
Cut to PAN: Beneficiaries Would See a Reduction in their Monthly Income
By Telemundo PR
Los beneficiarios del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional (PAN) experimentarían un recorte en los beneficios entre mayo y junio, supo Telenoticias.
Esto debito a la conclusión de ayudas de emergencia del COVID-19 provistas por el Congreso en 2021, bajo la Ley de Rescate Americano (ARPA, en inglés).
March 29, 2022
NBC News
Latino Civil Rights Group Could See Bigger Push for Puerto Rico Statehood
Puerto Rican LULAC members are growing their ranks and could change the leadership and makeup of the historically Mexican American organization.
By Suzanne Gamboa
Hispanic Federation, a growing Latino advocacy group that has more Puerto Rican leadership, supports self-determination and has not taken a position on the options.
March 14, 2022
Bloomberg Law
The Insular Cases: It’s Time to Turn the Page
By Lía Fiol-Matta
Lía Fiol-Matta, senior counsel for LatinoJustice PRLDEF, explains why the U.S. Supreme Court, in a matter before it, should overturn the Insular Cases. A series of opinions in the early 1900s about the status of people in U.S. territories acquired after the Spanish–American War, these cases cannot be reconciled with President Biden’s pledge to advance racial equity and justice, she contends.
March 11, 2022
El Vocero
Governor Pedro Pierluisi Breaks Down the Use of ARPA Funds
La Isla ha recibido $2,470 millones
By Maricarmen Rivera Sánchez
El manejo de la pandemia de covid-19 en la Isla ha significado la llegada de miles de millones en fondos federales asignados en respuesta al estado de emergencia que sigue vigente. El gobernador Pedro Pierluisi rindió cuentas ayer sobre lo que ha hecho con parte de los fondos del Plan de Rescate Americano (ARPA, en inglés).
February 15, 2022
Huff Post
Civil Rights to Biden DOJ: Stop Using 100-year-old Racist Precedents in Court
Residents of Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories have been denied equal rights, including the right to vote, because they were considered “uncivilized race[s].”
By Paul Blumenthal
A group of 13 civil rights organizations sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland last week, calling on the Department of Justice to stop using a series of racist, century-old Supreme Court precedents in its court arguments. The letter ― signed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Hispanic Federation, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, among other groups ― targets a series of Supreme Court rulings from the early 20th century, known as the Insular Cases. These rulings denied the full benefits of citizenship to residents of America’s colonial territorial possessions, on the grounds that they were supposedly populated by “savage tribes” and “alien” and “uncivilized race[s]” who were “absolutely unfit to receive” them.
February 11, 2022
Latino Rebels
Civil Rights Groups Call on Biden Administration to Condemn Insular Cases
By Hector Luis Alamo
“The Insular Cases, as you know, are a line of Supreme Court cases that held that the ‘alien races’ and ‘savage tribes’ in Guam, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories acquired as a result of the Spanish-American War were not entitled to the same constitutional rights and protections afforded to residents of the states, nor were they on a path to full political participation,” reads the letter from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Brennan Center for Justice, Dēmos, Hispanic Federation, Human Rights Campaign, and others.
February 11, 2022
NBC News
Rights Groups: Biden Should Disavow Racist Rulings against Puerto Rico, Territories
By Reuters
“It’s like having laws on the books that don’t outlaw lynching,” said Laura Esquivel, vice president of federal policy and advocacy at the Hispanic Federation. “Why would the U.S. government want to leave those laws there? Why would they not want to repudiate them?”
February 11, 2022
NimB
Coalition for Food Security Calls on US Congress for More Funding
By: Contributor
"Meanwhile, Charlotte Gossett-Navarro, principal director of the Hispanic Federation in Puerto Rico said the demand for parity presented to the United States Congress goes beyond a budgetary allocation."
February 10, 2022
Reuters
Rights Groups Urge Biden to Repudiate Racist U.S. Supreme Court Rulings
By Lawrence Hurley
"It's like having laws on the books that don't outlaw lynching," said Laura Esquivel, vice president of federal policy and advocacy at the Hispanic Federation. "Why would the U.S. government want to leave those laws there? Why would they not want to repudiate them?"
November 10, 2021
United Press International
Supreme Court Considers whether Puerto Ricans can be Denied Government Benefits
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether the exclusion of Puerto Rico from the Supplemental Security Income program violates the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause
By Christina Van Waasbergen
A dispute over $28,000 could have broad implications for the rights of Puerto Ricans and residents of other U.S. territories. The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday on whether the exclusion of Puerto Rico from the Supplemental Security Income program violates the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause.
November 9, 2021
EFE
ONG Piden al Supremo de EEUU Incluir a P.Rico en Programa de Beneficio Social
By EFE
El presidente de la Federación Hispana, Frankie Miranda, habla durante una rueda de prensa frente al Tribunal Supremo de Estados Unidos, hoy, en Washington (Estados Unidos). Varias organizaciones exigieron este martes al Tribunal Supremo de Estados Unidos que beneficie a Puerto Rico del programa de Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario (SSI, en inglés), cuya exclusión actual es evaluada por el tribunal.
November 9, 2021
Bloomberg Law
Biden Disappoints Puerto Rico in Supreme Court Benefits Case
By Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson
“He really created some expectations for how his administration would treat those who live in Puerto Rico differently” from the way they were treated under the Trump administration, “and it’s very dismaying that he has continued the Trump administration’s actions” in continuing to press this case before the justices, said Laura Esquivel of the Hispanic Federation, which led the effort to urge the Biden administration to change course.
November 8, 2021
NBC News
Family who lost federal benefits for living in Puerto Rico looks to Supreme Court
The Supreme Court could “right this historic wrong,” says a policy advocate, while the mother of a girl with a heart condition says “the injustice is causing me so much pain.”
By Nicole Acevedo
According to Laura Esquivel, vice president of federal policy at the advocacy organization Hispanic Federation, Vaello-Madero’s case is the first of a series of lawsuits dealing with federal benefit disparities across U.S. territories to make it to the Supreme Court. “This is an opportunity for the Supreme Court to finally right this historic wrong with a new legal precedent that makes it clear that unjustly denying any American their full rights is unconstitutional and indefensible,” Esquivel said.
November 9, 2021
NBC News
Supreme Court Seems Divided over Puerto Rico’s Exclusion From Federal Benefits
By Nicole Acevedo
The Supreme Court heard arguments on a potential landmark case Tuesday looking into whether it’s constitutional to deny federal benefits to aging and disabled U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico, even though they can access them if they live on the mainland. The justices seemed divided on the issue as they questioned Deputy Solicitor General Curtis Gannon as he argued on behalf of the Department of Justice in favor of excluding Puerto Rican residents from Supplemental Security Income benefits.
November 8, 2021
The Hill
In SSI case, Supreme Court should extend a lifeline to Puerto Rico
By Raul Reyes
Leading advocacy and Latino organizations like the American Bar Association, Hispanic Federation, and LatinoJustice PRLDEF support Vaello-Madero's position, as does the territory’s Republican congressional representative. Guess who else thinks denying SSI benefits to Puerto Rico is a bad idea: Joe Biden, whose Justice Department is pursuing the case against Vaello-Madero. “I believe that Puerto Rico residents should be able to receive SSI benefits,” the president said in a June statement, calling the current exclusion of Puerto Rico from the program “inconsistent with my administration's policies and values.”
November 5, 2021
Manhattan Times
“Leave no American behind” “No abandonar a ningún estadounidense”
AG James, Hispanic Federation call for protection of U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico
At a press conference in San Juan on Thurs., Nov. 4, James and Hispanic Federation President Frankie Miranda were joined by local and visiting leaders to raise awareness about the potentially landmark case that will determine whether it is constitutional to deny otherwise eligible Americans access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits — based solely on their status as residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or American Samoa.
November 4, 2021
El Nuevo Día
Hispanic Federation and 60 other groups ask Joe Biden to withdraw the challenge of Puerto Rico's access to SSI
They have made the claim prior to the hearing of the Vaello Madero case before the United States Supreme Court
Washington DC - Along with 60 other groups, the Hispanic Federation today urged President Joe Biden to order withdrawing the challenge to the decision that would open the door for Puerto Rico residents to have access to Supplemental Security Income ( SSI ).
A few days before the oral hearing on Tuesday in which the United States Supreme Court will examine the Vaello Madero case, the organizations indicated that setting aside that controversy would fully comply with the president's promise to give the island access to that program.
In a statement, the Hispanic Federation highlighted that the First Circuit of Federal Appeals determined that it is “irrational and arbitrary”, for violating the equal protection of the laws under the United States Constitution, the exclusion of the residents of the Island from the SSI.
November 4, 2021
New York Attorney General
Attorney General James, Hispanic Federation Call on DOJ to Protect Rights of U.S. Citizens in Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN – New York Attorney General Letitia James and the Hispanic Federation today called on the U.S. Department of Justice and the Biden-Harris Administration to stop denying life-saving assistance and federal programs to U.S. citizens who live in Puerto Rico, and drop their appeal in the case U.S. v Vaello-Madero, now before the U.S. Supreme Court.
October 7, 2021
Medium
Four Years after Hurricane Maria the Need for Parity and Building Back Better in Puerto Rico is More Urgent Than Ever
By Frankie Miranda, President and CEO, Hispanic Federation
When I visited Puerto Rico this summer, I met with community and business leaders from across the archipelago. They each shared hopeful stories of resilience, progress, and vision for the future, but also of struggle, frustration, and exhaustion. While we ate, the restaurant lights flickered on and off, a result of an unreliable electrical grid. Four years after Hurricane Maria battered the island, the lights offered a constant reminder of just how precarious life still is for the more than 3 million U.S. citizens who call Puerto Rico home.
September 28, 2021
CNBC
Puerto Rico residents aren’t getting monthly child tax credit payments. That could change soon
By Carmen Reinicke
The enhanced child tax credit has in just a few months lowered child poverty, slashed hunger rates and given millions of families a boost in saving and spending for essentials.
However, residents of Puerto Rico, who are U.S. citizens, haven’t seen any of those benefits.
That’s because they are not eligible to get the advance monthly payments, which amount to hundreds of dollars per month for families with children.
There are many programs for which residents of Puerto Rico do not enjoy the same level of federal benefits due to the island’s status as a U.S. territory, according to Laura Esquivel, vice president of federal policy and advocacy for the Hispanic Federation.
September 20, 2021
El Nuevo Dia
Líderes demócratas y la Federación Hispana avivan el reclamo por mejorar el acceso de Puerto Rico a programas federales
“Tenemos que invertir en Puerto Rico”, dice el líder de la mayoría demócrata del Senado, Charles Schumer
Por Jose A. Delgado
Washington, DC — En momentos en que se busca evitar un déficit en el sistema de salud de Puerto Rico y se conmemora el cuarto aniversario de la catástrofe causada por el huracán María, legisladores demócratas, autoridades puertorriqueñas y la Federación Hispana afirmaron hoy que el Congreso tiene pendiente la tarea de mejorar el acceso de la Isla a programas federales.
“Tenemos que invertir en Puerto Rico”, indicó el líder de la mayoría demócrata del Senado, Charles Schumer (Nueva York), al expresar que respalda los reclamos de la Federación Hispana de dar trato igual a Puerto Rico en programas sociales claves como Medicaid, la Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario (SSI) y asistencia alimentaria.
HF President Frankie Miranda at the September 2021 Take Action for Puerto Rico Campaign Launch Press Conference in Washington, D.C.
Sept. 20, 2021 — Hispanic Federation's President and CEO, Frankie Miranda, opened the 2021 TA4PR! campaign kickoff press conference.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) delivers remarks at the Take Action for Puerto Rico! Campaign Launch
Sept. 20, 2021 — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) joined Hispanic Federation the campaign kickoff press conference, four years after Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) at the September 2021 Take Action for Puerto Rico Campaign Launch Press Conference in Washington, D.C.
Sept. 20, 2021 — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) joined the Take Action for Puerto Rico! Campaign kick-off at the U.S. Capitol.
Aurelis Aponte at the 2021 TA4PR! 2021 campaign kick-off
Sept. 20, 2021 — Aurelis Aponte joined the TA4PR! Campaign Kickoff to tell her story of fleeing Puerto Rico and having to return , whereupon she was stripped of the benefits she had received on the mainland that helped her and her family recover from Hurricane Maria's devastation.
Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.) at the 2021 TA4PR! 2021 campaign kick-off
Sept. 20, 2021 — Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.) joine his colleagues from the House and Senate at the TA4PR! campaign kick-off to call for fair and equal parity for Puerto Rico in federal policy.
Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) at the 2021 TA4PR! 2021 campaign kick-off
Sept. 20, 2021 — Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) gave impassioned remarks at the 2021 TA4PR! campaign launch and called for equity and fairness for Puerto Rico in federal policy.
Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) at the 2021 TA4PR! 2021 campaign kick-off
Sept. 20, 2021 — At the 2021 TA4PR! campaign kickoff press conference, Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) echoed the call for fairness and equity in federal policy for Puerto Rico.
Rep. Rafael “Tatito” Hernandez (Puerto Rico ) at the 2021 TA4PR! 2021 campaign kick-off
Sept. 20, 2021 — The Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, Rep. Rafael "Tatito" Hernandez, joined the Take Action for Puerto Rico! 2021 campaign kick-off to offer insight into whathe Puerto Rico government is doing to respond to the ongoing crises made worse by the recent natural disasters.
Carmen Feliciano at the 2021 TA4PR! 2021 campaign kick-off
Sept. 20, 2021 — Carmen Feliciano, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, joined the Take Action for Puerto Rico! campaign kickoff press conference to offer insight on how the Puerto Rico government has responded to the ongoing problems plauging the island.
Aurelis Aponte tells her story as a Hurricane Maria survivor
Listen to Aurelis talk about her families effort to flee to Florida after the devastation Hurricane Maria left behind. When she had to move back to Puerto Rico, she became inelgible for benefits that were a lifeline for her family, especially her ill daughter.
Integral Health Council Clinic
September 20, 2021— Find out how the Integral Health Council Clinic in Loiza is serving different communities throughout Puerto Rico.
September 19, 2021
NBC News
Puerto Rico’s progress still stalled four years after Maria
By Nicole Acevedo
The memories of surviving Hurricane Maria still haunt people in Puerto Rico, four years after the storm wreaked havoc on the U.S. territory on Sept. 20, 2017.
There are reminders of the destruction, with thousands of homes, many of them still covered with blue tarps, yet to be fixed. Constant power outages remind Puerto Ricans that essential work to modernize the antiquated electric grid decimated by Maria has not yet begun. Deteriorating school buildings, roads, bridges and even health care facilities point to a slow reconstruction process that has not yet picked up its pace.
September 3 2021
El Nuevo Dia
Alrededor de 90 empresas y grupos cívicos piden al Congreso trato igual para Puerto Rico en la asistencia alimentaria
Por El Nuevo Dia
Washington, DC — Cerca de 90 empresas y grupos cívicos han reclamado al Congreso que eche hacia delante legislación demócrata que permitiría incluir a Puerto Rico, Samoa americana y las Islas Marianas del Norte en el Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP).
August 4, 2021
El Nuevo Dia
Hispanic Federation asked Joe Biden for parity for Puerto Rico in federal programs
He also urged him, in a meeting, to stop his Justice Department from contesting the island's residents' access to SSI
El Nuevo Dia
Washington, DC —The president of the Hispanic Federation , Frankie Miranda, advocated before President Joe Biden that Puerto Rico be granted parity in federal social welfare programs and his Department of Justice desists from contesting the access of the island's residents to Supplemental Security Income (SSI).