Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello thanked U.S. Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin on Thursday for "understanding" what happened in Puerto Rico when Hurricane Maria slammed the island in September.
"Our gratitude goes to secretary @stevenmnuchin1 for understanding the reality that Puerto Rico faces in the aftermath of two catastrophic hurricanes and we recognize his leadership to address this priority issue for the Island," Rossello tweeted.
Our gratitude goes to secretary @stevenmnuchin1 for understanding the reality that Puerto Rico faces in the aftermath of two catastrophic hurricanes and we recognize his leadership to address this priority issue for the Island. pic.twitter.com/g2HOgZxIXH
— Ricardo Rosselló (@ricardorossello) March 22, 2018
The two met on Thursday in San Juan, Puerto Rico and announced a deal that will speed up the process of giving the island federal disaster loans to help the U.S. territory rebuild after the storm.
"In an open conversation, we were able to reach agreements to protect the welfare of U.S. taxpayers, while guaranteeing essential services in Puerto Rico," Rossello said in a statement.
The island will now be able to receive community disaster loans once the bankrupt island's cash balance lowers to $1.1 million, Bloomberg reported.
"I am pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Gov. @ricardorossello on our outstanding loan agreements with Puerto Rico," Mnuchin tweeted.
Hurricane Maria's severe damage to the island only worsened the island's debt, pushing the U.S. territory into $70 billion in debt. Puerto Rico's leaders, including Rossello, have slammed Mnuchin for the mainland's slow response to release the funds to the island.
Last month, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez ripped into Mnuchin over President Donald Trump's administration's response to helping the people of Puerto Rico. This was Mnuchin's first visit to Puerto Rico since the storm.
It has been 6 months since the hurricane rocked the U.S. territory, leaving people without power, clean drinking water, or any basic necessities. Ten percent of the island is still without power, and the U.S. territory is also currently suffering from a mental health crisis.
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