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 provision aimed at protecting taxpayer dollars in what is expected to be a massive, long-term effort to rebuild the island.