Harris announces Puerto Rico's policy aimed at mainland voters

(NewsNation) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday unveiled a new policy platform for Puerto Rico, targeting the Latino vote ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election through promises of economic development and improved disaster relief.

Although residents of Puerto Rico cannot vote in the U.S. presidential election despite being U.S. citizens, the message was aimed at more than just 5.8 million people of Puerto Rican descent who live on the mainland and who can vote, according to the Pew Research Center.

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The announcement gained additional visibility when Puerto Rican music stars Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin performed shared Harris’ video message on Instagram, highlighting her criticism of the former president Donald Trump‘s response to Hurricane Maria in 2017.

“Throughout my career, I have always fought for the people of Puerto Rico,” Harris said in the video. “Every chance he got, Donald Trump has let down and insulted him.”

Harris outlined several initiatives, including the creation of a Puerto Rico Opportunity Economy Task Force to promote economic growth and create thousands of new jobs. She also pledged to accelerate emergency relief funds and modernize the island’s power grid, which continues to experience daily outages.

“I will cut red tape to ensure disaster recovery funds are used quickly and effectively, and work with leaders across the island to ensure all Puerto Ricans have access to reliable, affordable electricity,” Harris said.

The policy proposal follows Harris’ March 22 visit to Puerto Ricowhere she toured hurricane recovery efforts. During the five-hour visit, Harris visited a rebuilt home in Canovanas that Hurricane Maria destroyed.

“I see that we are making a difference. There is still more work to do,” Harris said during the visit, noting that the federal government has provided about $3 billion for reliable energy sources, including rooftop solar panels.

The visit was not without controversy. A small group of demonstrators gathered in San Juan to demonstrate against Puerto Rico’s territorial status and demand a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas. Some protesters chanted “Yankee, go home!” as supporters responded with chants of “USA!”

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Speaker at Trump rally compares Puerto Rico to ‘island of trash’

A speaker at the Trump rally at Madison Square Garden last Sunday spends some of his time on attacking Puerto Rico, which drew backlash from Democrats and the Harris campaign.

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, better known as Kill Tony, performed a set for the audience before the former president’s speech. “A lot is happening. I don’t know if you know this, but there is literally a floating trash island in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” Hinchcliffe said, drawing mixed reactions from the audience.

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Harris campaign officials noted that Hinchcliffe’s comments came as the vice president spoke in Philadelphia at a Puerto Rican restaurant.

Other Democrats pointed out that hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans live in Pennsylvania, which threatens to become one of the most critical battlegrounds on Election Day.

NewsNation’s Jackie Koppell, Kellie Meyer, The Hill and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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