Puerto Rico
When she was sworn into Congress in 1993, Congresswoman Velázquez made history as the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. A native of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, the Island and its people have long been dear to her heart.
In addition, many residents of New York’s 7th District hail from Puerto Rico and have family or other close ties to the Island. From working to solve the Puerto Rican debt crisis to bolstering small businesses on the Island, the Congresswoman has been a longtime champion for Puerto Rico.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Congresswoman Velázquez has been at the forefront of recovery efforts. From traveling to the Island to assess the damage to demanding an immediate supplemental funding package, to calling for a more robust and effective response from the Trump Administration, she is urging Washington to provide swift and sustainable relief aid.
For a list of the relief efforts the Congresswoman is supporting, please click here.
The Congresswoman in Sunset Park, Brooklyn organizing relief aid for Hurricane Maria victims.
More on Puerto Rico
Washington D.C.— Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) led four Members of Congress in sending a letter that urges Leadership to avoid a looming Medicaid cliff in Puerto Rico by temporarily increasing Puerto Rico’s FMAP to 100 percent and upholding the CMS’ determination to extend the Medicaid annual funding cap for Puerto Rico at FY 2020 levels, or $2.9 billion, in any end of the year government funding package.
New York, NY – U.S. Representative Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) led a bicameral letter calling on the Biden Administration to establish a Recovery Task Force for Puerto Rico. The task force would be modeled after the successful Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force created by the Obama Administration in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
Washington, D.C. - Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) announced today that the federal government will award $163 million to help restore the Caño Martín Peña in Puerto Rico, the first time the federal government has allocated federal funding to begin restoration efforts following years of inaction by the Trump Administration.
Washington, D.C.— Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ and Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee), Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D-Ill. and vice chair of the House Natural Resources Committee), and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) have filed an amicus brief siding with plaintiff Liga de Ciudades, a Puerto Rican non-profit organization, in a lawsuit against the Financial Oversight and Management Board.
Washington D.C.—Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) has sent a letter along with seven members of Congress to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, over their concerns about the continued violations of the Coal Combustion Residuals rule (CCR) by Applied Energy Systems in Guayama, Puerto Rico (AES-PR) and urged the EPA to take action.
Washington, DC –Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) has released the following opening statement as prepared for delivery at today's House Natural Resources Committee legislative hearing on issues related to the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico.
"Good afternoon Chairman Grijalva and members of this Committee. From the 1940s until 2003, the US Navy used Vieques as a training ground for war, pummeling the island with bombs in the name of military exercises.
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY) and Rep.
Washington, D.C. – Representative Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have unveiled legislation that would help Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa gain more equitable access to federal programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and popular tax credits.
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, U.S. Representatives Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), introduced the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2021, bicameral and bipartisan legislation that would empower Puerto Ricans with an inclusive and democratic process to determine their own political future and relationship with the United States.
Washington, D.C—Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) has reintroduced the “Puerto Rico Health Care Fairness, Accountability, and Beneficiary Access Act,” legislation that would put Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program on a path to parity with Medicaid programs in U.S. states.
