WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott, Senator Marco Rubio, Representative Jenniffer González-Colón and Representative Mario Diaz-Balart sent a letter to Acting FEMA Administrator Bob Fenton urging him to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts for Puerto Rico by working with the government of Puerto Rico to establish a federally supported mass vaccination site, or propose and implement alternative measures to support vaccine uptake, on the island.

Read the letter HERE or below.

April 22, 2021

Mr. Bob Fenton

Senior Official Performing the Duties of Administrator

Federal Emergency Management Agency

500 C Street, Southwest

Washington, D.C. 20472

Dear Mr. Fenton,

As you continue to work with state and local governments to administer the COVID-19 vaccine directly to Americans through federally supported sites across the country, we urge you to immediately begin working with the government of Puerto Rico to establish a federally supported mass vaccination site, or expeditiously propose and implement alternative measures to support vaccine uptake, on the island.

There are currently four federally supported mass vaccination sites in Florida, located in major population hubs, that are each capable of administering up to 3,000 shots a day. Approximately half a million vaccine doses have come from these four sites and they are clearly popular among Floridians. Nationally, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mass vaccination sites have administered 3.4 million vaccines.

While meaningful progress in fighting COVID-19 is being made, Americans must regain the confidence to travel to every part of our country freely. This includes Puerto Rico. Countless Americans have family members on the island they are desperate to reconnect with and Americans living in Puerto Rico are likewise eager to be at ease traveling to and from the Continental U.S. It is the job of the federal government, in concert with the government of Puerto Rico, to focus on distributing vaccines as widely as possible to support the health of residents and ensure a robust economic recovery. We will not be successful in this goal until every American who wants a vaccine can get one.

Throughout the pandemic, we have urged all levels of government to work together in a transparent, accountable manner, prioritizing a consistent flow of accurate, timely information. We must continue to put the needs of our communities above all else. That includes the health and safety of our citizens as well as their ability to have a good job and support their families.

Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rican community in the Continental U.S., deserve fair treatment and consideration during the country’s vaccination efforts. We look forward to your response to this urgent matter and working together to support Puerto Rican families as they, and all Americans, fight to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sincerely,

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