04/06/2026
BILLIONS STILL STUCK: Nearly Nine Years After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico Awaits $24 Billion in Reconstruction Funds
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly nine years after the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria, more than $24 billion in federal reconstruction funding earmarked for Puerto Rico remains undistributed, prompting renewed scrutiny of the federal government's recovery efforts and growing frustration among island residents still waiting for critical infrastructure projects to be completed.
During a recent hearing before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner, Pablo José Hernández Rivera, pressed Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin for answers regarding what he described as years of unacceptable delays in the island's post-disaster recovery.
The hearing marked the secretary's first appearance before the committee and quickly turned into a pointed examination of Puerto Rico's stalled reconstruction efforts.
"Almost nine years after the worst natural disaster in Puerto Rico's modern history, thousands of projects remain unfinished and billions of dollars remain trapped in the federal bureaucracy," Hernández Rivera declared. "That is unacceptable."
The Resident Commissioner highlighted that despite billions of dollars having been approved following the catastrophic 2017 hurricane, more than $24 billion remains tied up in administrative processes, preventing the completion of hundreds of vital projects across the island.
Schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, and other essential infrastructure continue to await repairs and modernization as communities struggle with the lingering effects of one of the most destructive storms ever to strike Puerto Rico.
Hernández Rivera pointed to a 2025 Inspector General report that found the Federal Emergency Management Agency failed to provide adequate technical assistance and guidance necessary to move reconstruction projects forward efficiently. He also referenced a study conducted by the RAND Corporation which concluded that, at the current pace, FEMA-funded recovery projects in Puerto Rico may not be fully completed until 2051 — more than three decades after Hurricane Maria made landfall.
The commissioner also credited pressure generated by his proposed legislation, the Disaster Aid Without Delay Act (H.R. 7829), for helping eliminate a controversial FEMA policy enacted under former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. That policy required additional approval for reconstruction projects exceeding $100,000, a measure critics argued created significant bottlenecks and delayed the release of desperately needed recovery funds.
Adding to concerns, Hernández Rivera demanded explanations regarding the dismissal and subsequent reinstatement of Andrés García Martinó, while also seeking assurances that federal authorities will grant the extensions needed to complete hundreds of ongoing reconstruction projects.
For many Puerto Ricans, the issue has become more than a matter of bureaucracy—it is a question of quality of life and governmental accountability.
"Puerto Rican families cannot continue to wait indefinitely for schools, roads, hospitals, and infrastructure projects that were promised almost a decade ago," Hernández Rivera said. "FEMA has the responsibility to accelerate this process and deliver results."
As Puerto Rico approaches the ninth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, the staggering figure of $24 billion in undisbursed recovery funding serves as a stark reminder that for many communities across the island, the recovery from one of the worst disasters in its history remains far from complete.
