By The Star Staff
The first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, on Sunday thanked the families who attended her appearance at Fort Buchanan in Guaynabo, and who probably had to change their plans in order to do so.
“Thank you all for spending your Sunday with me. I really appreciate you being here,” the first lady said. “I’m sure many of you had your day planned. And then they heard, oh God, the first lady is coming to town. ‘We had to change our plans.’ Yes, I see some heads nodding. So I want to thank you for being here. … I appreciate your time.”
Biden assured the audience that Puerto Rico is important to her and her husband, President Joe Biden.
“Puerto Rico matters to the president. You all matter to him,” she said. “And from day one, he has made sure that this island is well represented in our administration by people like our incredible secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona.”
“So as a military mom and as your first lady, I’m here to let you know how much all of you mean to me personally and to the commander in chief, President Biden. Thank you for everything you do every day for Puerto Rico and our nation,” the first lady continued. “And President Biden is working every day to make sure people in Puerto Rico have the resources and support they need. That is why he has invested in Puerto Rico, creating more than 100,000 jobs and providing billions for infrastructure. He has fought the drug companies and lowered the cost of insulin. He has made sure that Puerto Rican families get the same tax credit as the rest of the nation, the child tax credit. And Joe is calling on Congress to do the same for SNAP, Medicaid and SSI [Supplemental Security Income].”
Biden’s statements were made as part of her Joining Forces initiative focused on military families, which includes their caregivers and survivors.