{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/casi-nueve-anos-de-maria-mas-de-24-mil-millones-en-fondos-de-reconstruccion", "CASI NUEVE A\u00d1OS DE MAR\u00cdA, M\u00c1S DE $24 MIL MILLONES EN FONDOS DE RECONSTRUCCI\u00d3N SIGUEN SIN DESEMBOLSARSE", "2026-06-03", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "PR", "Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez", "H001103", "hernandez.house.gov", "hernandez", "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Casi nueve a\u00f1os despu\u00e9s del hurac\u00e1n Mar\u00eda, m\u00e1s de $24 mil millones en fondos de reconstrucci\u00f3n para Puerto Rico siguen sin desembolsarse. Hoy, el Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico, Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez Rivera, cuestion\u00f3 al Secretario Markwayne Mullin, sobre los continuos retrasos en la reconstrucci\u00f3n de Puerto Rico tras el hurac\u00e1n Maria, durante una vista del Comit\u00e9 de Homeland Security. La vista marc\u00f3 la primera comparecencia del secretario ante el comit\u00e9.\n\n\u201cCasi nueve a\u00f1os despu\u00e9s del peor desastre natural en la historia moderna de Puerto Rico, miles de proyectos siguen sin completarse y miles de millones de d\u00f3lares contin\u00faan atrapados en la burocracia federal. Eso es inaceptable\u201d, expres\u00f3 el Comisionado Residente.\n\nDurante la vista, el Comisionado Residente destac\u00f3 que a\u00fan quedan m\u00e1s de $24 billones en fondos de reconstrucci\u00f3n por desembolsar para Puerto Rico. El Comisionado Residente se\u00f1al\u00f3 adem\u00e1s que un informe del Inspector General de 2025, FEMA no ha brindado la asistencia t\u00e9cnica ni la orientaci\u00f3n adecuadas para impulsar y adelantar los proyectos de reconstrucci\u00f3n. Un informe de RAND concluy\u00f3 que, al ritmo actual, los proyectos de recuperaci\u00f3n financiados por FEMA no se completar\u00e1n hasta el a\u00f1o 2051.\n\nAsimismo, destac\u00f3 que la presi\u00f3n ejercida mediante su proyecto de ley, el Disaster Aid Without Delay Act (H.R. 7829), contribuy\u00f3 a que FEMA eliminar\u00e1 una pol\u00edtica implementada por la exsecretaria Kristi Noem que exig\u00eda aprobaci\u00f3n para proyectos mayores de $100,000 y ha restrasado el desembolso de fondos para la reconstrucci\u00f3n de Puerto Rico.\n\nEl Comisionado Residente tambi\u00e9n exigi\u00f3 explicaciones sobre el despido y posterior reinstalaci\u00f3n de Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda Martin\u00f3, Coordinador de Recuperaci\u00f3n de FEMA para Puerto Rico, y solicit\u00f3 claridad sobre el futuro de las extensiones necesarias para completar cientos de proyectos de reconstrucci\u00f3n en la Isla.\n\n\u201cLas familias puertorrique\u00f1as no pueden seguir esperando indefinidamente por escuelas, carreteras, hospitales y proyectos de infraestructura que fueron prometidos hace casi una d\u00e9cada. FEMA tiene la responsabilidad de acelerar este proceso e impulsar resultados\u201d, concluy\u00f3 el Comisionado Residente.\n\nNEARLY NINE YEARS AFTER HURRICANE MARIA, MORE THAN $24 BILLION IN RECONSTRUCTION FUNDS REMAIN UNDISBURSED\n\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Nearly nine years after Hurricane Maria, more than $24 billion in federal reconstruction funding for Puerto Rico remains undisbursed. Today, Puerto Rico\u2019s Resident Commissioner Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez Rivera demanded answers from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on FEMA's handling of the island's reconstruction efforts. The hearing marked the secretary\u2019s first appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee.\n\n\u201cNearly nine years after the worst natural disaster in Puerto Rico\u2019s modern history, thousands of projects remain unfinished and billions of dollars remain trapped in federal bureaucracy. That is unacceptable,\u201d said Hern\u00e1ndez Rivera.\n\nDuring the hearing, Hern\u00e1ndez underscored that more than $24 billion in reconstruction funding for Puerto Rico has yet to be disbursed. He also pointed to a report published last year by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, which found that FEMA has failed to provide the technical assistance and guidance needed to advance reconstruction projects. In addition, a RAND report concluded that, at the current pace, FEMA-funded recovery projects will not be completed until 2051.\n\nHern\u00e1ndez further emphasized that pressure generated by his legislation, the Disaster Aid Without Delay Act (H.R. 7829), along with the support of House Democrats contributed to FEMA\u2019s decision to eliminate a policy implemented by Kristi Noem that required approval for projects exceeding $100,000 and had delayed the flow of reconstruction funding to Puerto Rico.", 1, "2026-06-13T06:32:19Z", "2026-06-13T06:34:27Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/casi-nueve-anos-de-maria-mas-de-24-mil-millones-en-fondos-de-reconstruccion"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0616579093039036, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}