Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Florida Politics

Rick Scott Visits Puerto Rico to See How Island is Recovering From Earthquakes

“As governor, I traveled to Puerto Rico regularly and did everything I could to help the island recover after Hurricane Maria,” Scott said. “As senator, I have vowed to be the voice for Puerto Rico in the Senate, and will continue to fight for our brothers and sisters on the island.

Share Story Via Text, E-Mail, Facebook or Twitter

At the end of last week, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., toured Puerto Rico which has has been hit by earthquakes in recent days.

Scott joined Gov. Wanda Vázquez, D-PR,  and U.S. Rep. Jenniffer González-Colón, R-PR, on Friday to hear from emergency management officials and community leaders about recovery efforts.

The senator’s office noted that this was the eleventh time Scott has visited Puerto Rico since it was hit by Hurricane Maria. On Friday, Scott weighed in on his efforts.

“As governor, I traveled to Puerto Rico regularly and did everything I could to help the island recover after Hurricane Maria,” Scott said. “As senator, I have vowed to be the voice for Puerto Rico in the Senate, and will continue to fight for our brothers and sisters on the island. I look forward to continuing to work with Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón and Governor Wanda Vazquez to ensure the island has all the resources it needs.”

At the start of last year, after taking his Senate seat, Scott filed an amendment to add $600 million for Puerto Rico to use for disaster recovery.

Scott stressed the ties between the Sunshine State and Puerto Rico. In recent years, the Puerto Rican population in Florida has increased dramatically, especially in the central part of the state. Some recent studies have noted that the Puerto Rican population could overtake the Cuban population in Florida as early as this year.

“The most important thing to every American is action over words,” Scott said in January 2019. “In Florida, we took aggressive action to support Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican community since before Hurricane Maria even made landfall, but our work isn’t done. Puerto Rico’s success is America’s success and Puerto Rico’s recovery is America’s recovery. Today, I’m introducing an amendment to ensure Puerto Rico has the resources they need to continue to rebuild and recover.

“Puerto Rico does not have a voice in the United States Senate,” Scott added. “I intend to be that voice. I’m proud to fight for the people of Puerto Rico and will continue to do everything I can to take action for the Puerto Rican community, both in Florida and on the island.”

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

González Colón cheered Scott’s commitment to Puerto Rico and praised his record as governor.

“I am thrilled to have a partner in the U.S. Senate that makes Puerto Rico a priority,” she said. “As governor, Senator Scott was there when Puerto Rico needed it most – and he has already proven that he will be a voice for Puerto Rico in the Senate. This funding is so important to help Puerto Rico continue to recover after Hurricane Maria, and I thank Senator Scott for taking quick action to make this happen. I look forward to working closely with Senator Scott to support the Puerto Rican community.”

 

Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.

 

Author

  • Kevin Derby

    Originally from Jacksonville, Kevin Derby is a contributing writer for Florida Daily and covers politics across Florida. View all posts

Share Story Via Text, E-Mail, Facebook or Twitter

Follow Us on Social Media

Related Stories

Story 2

Florida’s U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging his immediate approval of the State of Florida’s...

Elections

The Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) Center for Political Strategy released the initial findings from its Q4 2024 Statewide General Election Poll, which will...

Florida Politics

As communities across Florida’s Gulf Coast recover from Hurricane Helene, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Rick Scott are meeting with...

Elections

A series of September polling data shows Florida Senator Rick Scott outperforming his Democratic opponent, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, for the Senate seat. National polling company 538 compiles the averages...

Stories 11-14

Less than ten days after Ryan Routh was arrested while carrying a rifle near former President Donald Trump‘s golf course in Palm Beach, the...

Elections

On Thursday, the Florida Fraternal Order of Police announced its endorsement of Senator Rick Scott (R) for re-election to the U.S. Senate. “The Office of U.S. Senator...

Crime

Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) hosted a press conference with Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo), Ron Johnson (R-Wis), and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo) to bring attention...

Elections

Below is an official statement from U.S. Senator Rick Scott regarding security resource expansion for former President Donald Trump. Scott joined other Republican Senators...