Now that President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency at the southern border, many natural disaster victims are worried their recovery funds will be used on a border wall. Americans affected by Hurricane Maria are still struggling to rebuild over a year after the storm. Taking away natural disaster aid could bring recovery to a complete halt.
President Trump initially asked for $5.7 billion from Congress to cover the cost of building a wall, but when it was clear Congress would not give him the funds, he declared a national emergency. By declaring a national emergency, President Trump can reallocate certain funds to address the emergency. So far, it’s unclear exactly where the funds will come from and what programs might be cut to cover the cost of the border wall. Victims of the California wildfires and Puerto Ricans are rightfully nervous that Trump will dip into their federal recovery aid. Reports previously stated the President intended to use some of FEMA’s disaster recovery aid to cover the cost of building the wall.
A Slow Recovery
Although Puerto Rico is no stranger to strong storms, Hurricane Maria proved to be an extremely devastating storm. Hurricane Maria caused substantial damage to the island’s power grid, which crippled communications in the aftermath of the storm. Additionally, the storm damaged much of the island’s infrastructure, including roads and bridges, which made it difficult to distribute aid.
Although the island’s electricity has long since been restored and roads have been cleared, much of Puerto Rico is still in limbo waiting for insurance payments to make repairs on buildings. Unfortunately, the insurance market in Puerto Rico is dominated by foreign reinsurers who are not eager to pay out on claims. This has dramatically slowed down recovery.
Get Help With Hurricane Maria Claims
Hurricane Maria victims should not have to endure bad faith tactics used by insurance companies to avoid paying out on valid claims. If your Hurricane Maria claim is being delayed, underpaid, or outright denied, contact the Hurricane Maria lawyers at Raizner Law today for a free consultation to see how we can help.