PDP governing board endorses party president’s efforts to have PR included in SNAP
By The Star Staff
The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) governing board has unanimously approved a motion expressing the group’s institutional support of efforts from PDP President José Luis Dalmau Santiago to include Puerto Rico in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The island’s inclusion in SNAP would increase aid funds to 800,000 families representing 1.2 million Puerto Rico residents. Similarly, the governing body of the PDP in its meeting Saturday expressed its support for Dalmau Santiago’s efforts to achieve parity in health funds and a new federal tax incentive for local manufacturing representing about 75,000 direct jobs.
“The Popular Democratic Party will continue its effort to ensure Puerto Rico’s inclusion in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which would increase additional food funds for the low-income population, promote job opportunities, and make eligibility requirements more flexible,” Dalmau Santiago said.
Meanwhile, the governing board also approved the final part of the party’s reorganization that makes it possible that, as of next Saturday, the PDP will have a president or presidential delegate in 93% of the municipalities, which translates to 72 of the 78 municipalities. The presidents of the remaining six municipalities and the vice presidency of the Mayagüez municipal committee will be selected by vote after Sunday, May 7.
In the case of San Juan, of the five existing precincts, in two of them the new presidents who did not have contenders will be certified, and in precincts 1, 2 and 3 they will be selected by open vote on May 7.
Finally, the governing board unanimously approved a motion rejecting the bill authored by several New Progressive Party legislators that would impose prison sentences on women who terminate a pregnancy.
The PDP also expressed solidarity and collective prayer for the health of the former representative and moderator of the Jugando Pelota Dura program, Ferdinand Pérez Román, who announced last week that he has a cancerous tumor.