Washington D. C. - On Friday night, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris stated — on the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s devastating rampage through Puerto Rico — that if she wins the White House in November, she will work to ensure a better future for Puerto Ricans.

“As president, I will always be committed to Puerto Rico’s future and to ensuring that every community across Puerto Rico has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead” Harris said in a statement provided to El Nuevo Día.

The Category 4 cyclone made landfall on the island in September 19 of 2017. At that moment, Harris was a senator from California. When the hurricane finally exited, Puerto Rico faced a level of devastation that led to the deaths of around 3,000 people, caused nearly $90 billion in damages, and that completely destroyed the power grid, leaving the island in complete darkness for months.

“On the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Maria, I stand with Puerto Ricans in mourning their losses and honoring the strength of the island in the aftermath of tragedy. I went to Puerto Rico shortly after the hurricane and saw the devastation that occurred. I spoke with families whose lives had been devastated, business owners who had lost everything, and people in communities without power and without much hope for how to rebuild. They didn’t need paper towels thrown at them – they needed real help and partnership. Seven years later, we have all seen Puerto Rico’s inspiring grit and ambition to rebuild,” said Harris.

In her message, the U.S. Vice President expressed pride in the fact that “our administration” had unlocked tens of billions of dollars in emergency funds, which had been stalled or subject to harsh restrictions under the Republican government of Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term in the upcoming elections.

“As vice president, I am proud of our administration’s success in unlocking billions in disaster relief and recovery funding that had been blocked by the prior administration. We have partnered with local leaders to ensure communities in Puerto Rico weren’t being left behind. As president, I will always be committed to Puerto Rico’s future and to ensuring that every community across Puerto Rico has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead,” stated Harris.

During her visit to Puerto Rico in March — when she inspected reconstruction efforts, spoke with representatives of various communities, and raised nearly $500,000 for President Joe Biden’s campaign — Harris mentioned that she visited the island shortly after the hurricane hit and witnessed “the devastation that occurred.”

On Thursday night, during the Congressional Hispanic Caucus gala, President Biden stated that his administration had “turned Puerto Rico’s economy around.”

Biden referred to “the $140 billion investment”, primarily dedicated to Puerto Rico’s recovery and reconstruction after natural disasters, which includes funds allocated during the previous administration, funds to mitigate COVID-19, and those related to laws such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

He also mentioned that his administration has created 100,000 jobs in Puerto Rico.

The White House also held a session, on Thursday, in which several top Biden administration officials discussed investments in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while listening to the concerns of representatives from both territories.

According to the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction, and Resilience (COR 3), federal funds allocated in response to Hurricane Maria total $77.6 billion, of which $71.3 billion have been committed and $26.8 billion (35.6%) disbursed.