As reported in our post below, insecure demagogue and bigot Donald "Mango Mussolini" Trump wants to control the budget pursestrings when it comes to his vanity wall (that Mexico was supposed to pay for). He also uses the pursestrings to punish those he believes are insufficiently worshipful of him. Case in point: just now, funds appropriated to assist the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in recovering from 2017's Hurricane Maria are being released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development:
The Department of Housing and Urban Development will allow Puerto Rico to access more than $8 billion in blocked disaster aid funding, ending a monthslong hold by the Trump administration, according to people familiar with the matter.That leaves roughly $10.5 billion owed to Puerto Rico for disaster relief and recovery. Over the past month, already-suffering Puerto Rico has suffered multiple earthquakes and aftershocks off of its southern coast, causing widespread damage and power outages that may require a new authorization for relief.
Puerto Rico, which suffered devastating losses from Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, has received just $1.5 billion of the roughly $20 billion in congressionally authorized disaster funds that HUD is supposed to administer. The delay in receiving the additional funds had incensed both U.S. lawmakers and commonwealth officials. (our emphasis)
Trump's antipathy to Puerto Rico stems from the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, where he did a brief photo op in San Juan, threw some paper towels at people gathered, and scurried away. After courageous and charismatic San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz had the temerity to suggest that Federal aid wasn't being delivered in a sufficient or timely manner, unstable Mango Mussolini went ballistic and began slow walking the aid out of spite.
We emphasize again, the citizens of Puerto Rico are AMERICAN CITIZENS, not a foreign entity. The mistreatment of them by the sociopath in the White (Supremacist) House is outrageous and criminal. Add that to the list.
