Jenniffer González Advocates for Puerto Rico's Fiscal Year 2021 Priorities Before the House Appropriations Committee

Press Release

Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón stressed before the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations her priorities for the fiscal year 2021 budget, emphasizing requests for an increase to the Nutrition Assistance Program block grant for Puerto Rico, better known as PAN, resources for the Caño Martín Peña and other mitigation projects, increasing the supply and domestic capacity of pharmaceutical products and medical supplies, classifying it as a national security issue using the island as a place to develop these industries, among other issues; and initiatives for which she had already advocated for before the Appropriations Subcommittees hearings during the months of February and March.

Congresswoman González-Colón requested an increase of the $1.9 billion suggested by the Administration for the Nutrition Assistance Program of Puerto Rico. On March 3, the Congresswoman requested this to the Subcommittee on Agriculture of the Appropriations Committee, in which she received a positive response from representatives Sanford Bishop and Jeff Fortenberry, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, who were in favor of working together with her to eliminate the disparities in the nutritional assistance programs on the Island.

González-Colón stressed at the hearing the need for additional resources for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), to help advance projects like the Rio Guayanilla and Rio Grande de Loiza projects, among others, which received partial supplemental funding in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. She also asked for an increase in the number of new construction starts to no less than 8, and that at least 4 be for Ecosystem Restoration Projects. This will better position projects already authorized by Congress, including the Caño Martin Peña Ecosystem Restoration Project in San Juan.

In the area of defense, the Congresswoman requested language encouraging the Executive Branch to fully utilize the Defense Production Act to increase domestic supply and capacity of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies produced in the U.S

Along with representatives Donna Shalala (D-FL), Rob Bishop (R-UT), Darren Soto (D-FL), Rubén Gallego (D-AZ) and Peter King (R-NY), Congresswoman González-Colón introduced H.R. 6443, the Securing the National Supply Chain Act of 2020, which would secure the supply chain nationwide by providing incentives to distressed zones in the United States and its territories.

"Our island has the infrastructure, capacity and human capital to play a leading role in the United States' efforts to secure the national supply chain for medical products," said Rep. González-Colón.

On June 8, the Congresswoman met with Peter Navarro, Assistant to the President, Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, and the national Defense Production Act policy coordinator, to discuss initiatives to attract new manufacturing to Puerto Rico. On March 12, she testified before the Subcommittee on Defense of the Appropriations Committee supporting this request, as well as more federal funds and resources for the Fisher House, the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program, Civil Air Patrol, and to expedite the federal cleanup process in Vieques and Culebra.

Representative González-Colón also supported the Coast Guard's request for $29.2 million to transition Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla from MH-65 to MH-60 helicopters and language directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to engage with local authorities in Puerto Rico, including municipalities still recovering from the 2017 hurricanes and 2020 earthquakes, to achieve a prompt disbursement of Public Assistance payments, reimbursements for the immediate response categories, and facilitate the start and completion of permanent work projects.

González-Colón asked the Committee to reject the Forest Service's proposed closure of the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, headquartered in Puerto Rico, that has been vital in advancing our knowledge of tropical ecosystems at the local, national, and international levels.

The Congresswoman's petitions for fiscal year 2021 include funding requests for environmental conservation and historic sites, veteran services and military construction, as well as resources to combat crime in Puerto Rico, commerce and science programs, and the Arecibo Observatory.

Each year, Congress develops a budget for the federal government through the appropriations process, detailing spending levels for federal agencies, as well as funding for the various federal programs. The federal government's fiscal year runs from October 1st to September 30th of the following year.

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