By John McPhaul
jpmchaul@gmail.com
Representatives Angel Morey Noble and José “Che” Pérez Cordero recently visited the Federal Capital to advocate for the transition of the PAN program to SNAP in order to provide food security to nearly 800,000 families on the island.
During the visit to Washington, the New Progressive Party representatives held meetings with various members of Congress and several of the congressmen’s legislative work teams, where they participated in key discussions on issues of great benefit to Puerto Rico.
“We have been in constant discussions seeking to have the island included in the SNAP program, the approval of this measure would represent an estimated additional $1.5 billion for the purchase of food and the implementation of the program. It could also generate an increase in the labor participation rate by expanding the eligibility tables to provide food security to families on the island that benefit from the current PAN program,” said Morey Noble.
Morey Noble emphasized the importance of guaranteeing the inclusion of Puerto Rico in federal programs that benefit families in situations of vulnerability, “we visited Congress to advocate for the necessary resources that correspond to us as American citizens, so that families living in Puerto Rico have the same benefits of each Puerto Rican family residing in the states of the American Nation.”
The calendar of visits was led by the executive director of Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Luis Dávila Pernas, the interim secretary of the Family, Ciení Rodríguez Troche, the administrator of the ADSEF, Alberto Fradera Vázquez and citizens representing the private sector.