Democrats Accuse Trump of Slow-Walking Disaster Relief Funds to Territory, Violating Law by Withhold

[TexasTowelie]

Democrats Accuse Trump of Slow-Walking Disaster Relief Funds to Territory, Violating Law by Withholding Money for PR


Delegate to Stacey E. Plaskett and Democratic colleagues in Washington accused the Trump administration of violating federal law by withholding billions of dollars in U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) disaster recovery grants to Puerto Rico, and slow-walking recovery aid to the Virgin Islands.

“It has been over two years since Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico; destroying homes, businesses and all kinds of public infrastructure in both territories,” said Ms. Plaskett. “Any further delay by HUD to facilitate the CDBG recovery funds that have been obligated to the Virgin Islands and Puerto is not just unacceptable. It defies the letter and intent of laws duly passed by Congress and signed by the President.”

Ms. Plaskett was joined by fellow Democrats of Congress in a Washington press conference blasting the Trump administration for delays is disbursement of HUD Community Development Block Grants intended for storm recovery projects.

The reason for the hold-up, Ms. Plaskett said, is quite simple: “This (Trump) administration. … The pattern of neglect for our U.S. territories by this administration is profound. … It is absurd that in the U.S. fellow citizens on these American islands remain in tremendous need of hundreds of millions of dollars for recovery.”

Read more: https://viconsortium.com/vi-economy/virgin-islands-democrats-in-congress-accuse-trump-administration-of-slow-walking-disaster-relief-funds-to-the-territory-and-violating-the-law-by-withholding-money-for-puerto-rico