Trump personally stepped in to cut health funding for Puerto Rico in new spending deal, report says

Note that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-puerto-rico-spending-bill-cut-medicaid-hurricane-corruption-a9252671.html?fbclid=IwAR2BXF-xniF5cj710WV3OcsfzkePebLdb0MecCShtlJnTdMVQiHizbntDRU


Chris Riotta
Wednesday 18 December 2019 23:30

Donald Trump stepped in to cut Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico by more than half of the original amount that was agreed to during bipartisan negotiations, according to a new report.

Republican and Democratic leaders agreed to provide the US territory with $12bn (£9.2bn) over the next four years as part of a $1.4tn (£1.07tn) spending bill, averting another government shutdown and sending crucial health funding to Puerto Rico after it was ravaged by Hurricane Maria two years ago.

Puerto Rico has continued rebuilding itself after the hurricane and in spite of enormous political uproar this year, when the island’s residents successfully protested for the resignations of its top leaders, including ex-Governor Ricardo Rossello, who stepped down in August.

Despite all that, the president reportedly intervened to remove $6.3bn (£4.8bn) in funding from Puerto Rico in the budget before it went up for a vote and was passed by the House earlier this week.

•••••