President Donald Trump reportedly wants to cut off financial assistance to millions of Puerto Ricans who are still recovering from the devastation left behind by Hurricane Maria.
A congressional leadership aide reportedly said White House officials have told congressional leaders that the president does not want any more funding sent to the United States territory.
The news was first reported by Axios.
The aide said there are no talks to cut funds that have been set aside, but negotiations have been focused on keeping additional relief funds out.
The aide also said that Puerto Rican officials haven’t yet spent all the money already set aside for the territory, but the administration is moving to stop more money from going to the island “because they don’t need it and will most likely not be able to spend it.”
The president has previously accused Puerto Rican officials of mismanagement of funds, saying the money was used for reasons other than hurricane recovery.
In February, Puerto Rico received $16 billion in federal aid under a disaster relief package signed by the president.
However, officials estimate that about $94 billion would be needed to rebuild the island.