Pablo José Hernández and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries Visit Supermarket to Discuss Hunger in Puerto Rico

Guaynabo, PR – This morning, Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner, Pablo José Hernández Rivera, along with the Democratic Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, visited the Econo Altamira Supermarket in Guaynabo. During the visit, both leaders engaged in a conversation with several customers and Econo President Eduardo Marxuach about the challenges the island faces regarding food security.

The conversation focused on the effects of federal tariffs on import costs, the impact of those policies on the basic grocery basket, and the urgent need for a fair transition from the Nutritional Assistance Program (PAN) to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), from which Puerto Rico is still excluded.

“This isn’t about numbers or abstract policy. It’s about how much it costs to fill a shopping cart. It’s about the mother who can’t stretch her money far enough to feed her children properly. It’s about the retiree who sees their groceries go less and less far every month. There may be moral consensus around Puerto Rico’s need to join SNAP, but what we need is political will — and that’s why visits like this matter, to show how decisions made in Washington directly impact the people’s dinner tables,” said the Resident Commissioner.

“It's an honor and privilege to be here in Puerto Rico with Resident Commissioner Pablo Hernandez, who is doing a tremendous job. I’m thankful for his leadership in the Congress, where he is fighting hard on behalf of his constituents, because when Puerto Rico thrives, America thrives,” said Leader Jeffries. “It's important to make sure that we provide Puerto Ricans with the assistance necessary to live the highest quality of life here on the island, which is why we're working together closely to make sure we can engineer a transition from NAP to SNAP, to meet the food security needs of the Puerto Rican people,” said the Democratic Leader. “We're committed to doing everything we can to stop the reckless Republican budget bill that will hurt everyday, hardworking taxpayers and take away nearly a billion dollars in nutritional assistance in order to help their billionaire donors.”

The visit is part of the Commissioner’s ongoing efforts to highlight in Washington the real-world effects of structural inequality in federal programs and to build bridges to address it.

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