President Biden will travel Monday to Puerto Rico, where he is expected to announce more than $60 million in federal aid to help the island recover from hurricane damage.
The funding, which will come from the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package that Congress approved last year, will be used to strengthen flood walls, shore up levees and create a new flood warning system, the White House said.
That money is in addition to the $1.3 billion released by the Biden administration in February 2021 to help protect Puerto Rico against severe storms.
“Our hearts … are heavy,” Mr. Biden said Saturday night. “We owe Puerto Rico a hell of a lot more than they’ve already gotten.”
Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden will meet with families and community leaders impacted by Hurricane Fiona, which ravaged Puerto Rico last month. The president and the first lady will participate in a community service project to pack bags of food and other essential items for the residents.
During the trip, Mr. Biden will also receive a briefing on recovery efforts and will be joined by Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell.
Puerto Rican residents were still recovering from Hurricane Fiona, which caused widespread blackouts, flooding and heavy damage. More than 3 million residents were in the dark after Fiona hit.
After traveling to Puerto Rico, Mr. Biden is planning to visit Florida on Wednesday to see the damage from Hurricane Ian.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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