Friends,

We are writing to share exciting news. After our win last week on Puerto Rico disaster aid, the House just included pandemic-related food aid for schoolchildren in Puerto Rico as part of the continuing resolution extending government funding.

Your calls and the leadership of Puerto Rico's religious leaders are moving forward all of our Jubilee USA Puerto Rico campaigns.

While we believe our efforts secured bipartisan agreement and this measure will pass the Senate next week, please make an urgent call to help address the reality that nearly 60% of all kids in Puerto Rico live in poverty.

Call your Senators and tell them to ensure that they join the House in supporting this funding vital for the most vulnerable in Puerto Rico.

On August 1st, Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) benefits that impact more than 1.5 million were reduced because funding ran out. 

The funding means that 300,000 children will have food.

Ask your Senators to support crucial food aid for the most vulnerable children as Puerto Rico recovers from hurricanes and wrestles with a debt crisis.

Below you can read more about our Puerto Rico campaigns, our disaster aid victory last week and the President's endorsement of the island's religious leader call for job creation.

We are so grateful for your partnership and that together - Jubilee USA continues to win our campaigns from Congress to the G20 to the IMF.

In hope,

Zach

Zachary Conti
Director of Policy and Advocacy
Twitter: @JubileeUSA
www.jubileeusa.org/support-us

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Aldo Caliari, Jubilee USA Network <[email protected]>
Date: Sun, Sept 20, 2020 at 8:30 AM
Subject: Puerto Rico Win! Hurricane Maria Anniversary Actions

Friends,

As we near the three-year anniversary of Hurricanes Maria and Irma slamming Puerto Rico, we remember the 3000 lives lost and more than $100 billion in damages across the island.

The White House announced on Friday that FEMA will award $13 billion in Puerto Rico disaster aid to rebuild the power grid and schools. The President also said he supported the call of Puerto Rico's religious leaders and Jubilee USA to bring pharmaceutical jobs back to the island.

You made this possible because of the tens of thousands of e-mails, phone calls and letters you sent to the White House and Congress since the hurricanes hit. Now - three years after the hurricanes hit, Puerto Rico is still trying to recover and wrestles with a debt crisis. Please join me and call your Senators to approve the remaining relief that Puerto Rico needs.

Since 2015, Puerto Rico's religious leaders and Jubilee USA pressed Congress and the White House on debt relief. When Hurricanes Maria and Irma decimated Puerto Rico in 2017, disaster recovery efforts became intertwined with debt relief.

Because of our work together with Puerto Rico's religious leaders, we've won $44 billion in relief aid. With Friday's White House announcement, $26 billion of those $44 billion are now moving forward.

Call the Senate now. We need to move forward the rest of the relief we won and move forward an estimated $50 to $80 billion in disaster assistance. The Senate is considering proposals to reduce Puerto Rico's child poverty rate and job creation.

The US Territory dealt with a series of earthquakes earlier this year and continues to wrestle with the coronavirus pandemic.

Puerto Rico needs Senate action to rebuild from hurricanes, multiple natural disasters, a debt crisis and rising joblessness and poverty. In order to fully recover, Puerto Rico will need more disaster aid and debt relief.

Last July, 11 religious leaders representing more than 95% of Puerto Rico’s population wrote Congress on the growing challenges facing the island. The letter asked for additional disaster recovery monies, measures to bring back pharmaceutical manufacturing jobs to Puerto Rico and the authorization of $1.2 billion for Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that impact 1.5 million people on the island. The letter was signed by leaders of the Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Christian (Disciples) and Evangelical Churches. The Puerto Rico Council of Churches, Catholic Charities (Caritas) and the General Bible Society also added their names to the letter to Congress.

Puerto Rico's debt crisis and natural disaster vulnerabilities are flip sides of the same coin. Debt crisis solutions must ensure Puerto Rico is prepared to respond, withstand and recover from natural disasters and external shocks.

Your actions continue to make a big difference and as the Senate considers a range of Puerto Rico proposals, your action is needed now.

Up to this day, thousands of family homes remain damaged or destroyed, with residents living under blue tarp roofs. Please call your Senators and urge them to act.

Gratefully,

Aldo

Aldo Caliari
Senior Director of Policy and Campaigns
Jubilee USA Network
[email protected]
www.jubileeusa.org/support-us