WASHINGTON ¨C U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday agreed to expand the use of disaster aid to help rebuild Puerto Rico¡¯s power grid and other infrastructure wrecked by Hurricane Maria, the White House said.
In a unique agreement recognizing both the massive devastation on the island and its dire financial problems, aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for infrastructure projects will be released in a faster, more flexible way than is typical after disasters, a senior White House official told Reuters.
The plan, agreed to with Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, will also provide for third-party advisers to estimate how much money is requires for big-ticket projects, and how it is spent ¡ª a provision aimed at protecting taxpayer dollars in what is expected to be a massive, long-term effort to rebuild the island.
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