>>Good morning an welcome to Global Perspectives.

In our studio in Orlando, I'm David Dumke.

And joining us from Washington is Gretchen Sierra-Zorita who is the White House director of Puerto Rico and the territories.

Thank you for joining us today, Gretchen.

>>Thank you.

Thanks for having me her on this lovely Sunday morning.

>>Excellent.

Gretchen, you are the point person for the White House's efforts on Puerto Rico, obviously, and a big focus of that.

Those efforts have been recovery from Hurricane Maria, which was seven years ago.

People have heard a lot about money being sent from Washington for the recovery effort.

Where do things stand and how much recovery work is still needs to be done?

>>Well things are standing in progress, and I think a lot of progress has been made.

But I'd like to make one clarification.

People always talk about Maria which was a catastrophic event of the type that we have never seen before, but it was just not Maria.

It was Irma a little bit.

And then Maria, and then we had the 2020 earthquakes, and then we had Covi and then we had in 2022 Fiona.

So it is really one disaster after another in a location that is already strained in economic and social ways.

So it is a lot to contend with.

But as I said, progress is being made.

Only as a, as of 2017.

And this is FEMA alone.

There's lots of agencies that are investing in Puerto Rico from the recovery and reconstruction effort.

FEMA has invested it has allocated 36 billion for the reconstruction of Puerto Rico.

Again, that does not include, HUD money or USDA money or EPA money.

It's just, you know, it's a vast, vast amount of money that goes into this reconstruction.

The FEMA portion alone is slated for 11,700 recovery projects, and we're think we're making progress in all of those.

>>Where is the biggest need today?

I mean, when whe after these series of disasters, of course, infrastructure was hit very heavily.

A lot of people read abou the lack of power, fresh water and other things, but housing also was destroyed in a large extent.

Where have the efforts, been focused from, from your perspective?

>>Well, you know I think the grid gets enormous amount of attention, and rightfully so.

The grid is, you know, a human basic necessity.

People who are ill need to have electricity in their homes.

And.

But it's also an economic issue.

Factories need, power.

The small business, business owner needs power.

The restaurant owner needs power.

So it is the one that's become the most obvious and the one that gets the most attention.

But, you know, I can talk to you about different initiatives that we have going o in Puerto Rico but one of them has to do with energy.

After President Biden visited Puerto Rico in October of right after Fiona, when he came back, he said, I need energy to be a priority.

I cannot I do not want to see this situation again.

And Secretary Jennifer Granholm was appointed as the lead on that effort.

And it's an inter-agency effort, which we meet regularly and, and she has been on multiple, multiple, multiple trips to the island, none of them vacation.

I once asked her, have you eve had a vacation in Puerto Rico?

Because she says, actually, I haven't, which is, kind of a little bit comical, but also shame because she worked so hard for Puerto Rico.

In energy.

Right now, we have allocate for reconstruction of the grid $20 billion or so in that realm.

And it's not just EPA.

It's not just FEMA.

It's also hard money.

It's the Department of Energy money, and it's EPA money.

And that will allow us to reconstruct the grid, to industry standards, which is one of the accomplishments we have made in this go around that.

And one of the it was bipartisan budget act of 2018.

We got the authority to go back, not to where it was, but to go back to industry standard so that money should help us get there.

And of course, as you have heard, there's also an enormous, emphasis on renewable energy, because the Puerto Rico, plan or blueprint is or is this integrated resource plan aimed towards full renewable energy by the year 2050.

I'm not sure if we're going to be there, but we're surely making an effort to get there, by investing a lot in, in, in renewable energy not only in the private sector or private providers, but also for communities and individuals in need.

You know, priority has been given which programs that were has given priority for individuals that have health issues, that are in communities where there is need.

There's a new program where we're giving, priority to health centers and community centers and so forth.

So we're kind of trying to go in all directions, of course, with the government in Puerto Rico leading, they have to lead on this and we're following their plan for the you know, how the grid is intended to be.

Another thing that we have done for Puerto Rico is Puerto Rico 100, where we, the Department of Energy funded this, plan, which tells gives Puerto Rico a different path to follow to get to their goal of 100% renewable.

And this was done with the help of the nationa labs and intense consultation, not only with the Puerto Rican governor and people in the power sector, but also with stakeholders that were affected by this.

So that is, I would say, of the sectors that we work with, that is by far the one that is at the top of people's mind because it's impacts their daily life.

In addition to that, that we have other kind of lots of effort, you know, one is the water, resources and reconstructio of, you know, just water supply.

Another is education, reconstruction of schools affected by the earthquake and, and then housing, of course.

So, I mean, we're kind of batting in all directions.

>>Sure.

Yeah.

I want to ask you.

And you are you were, from Puerto Rico originally.

So you're doing work, and you, you're familiar with this.

What is surprised you being a Puerto Rican working on these issues as you look to address them?

Is there been any issu that you've been surprised by?

>>I think no, but I would like no, but, I think the capacity of people in some ways, you know, I hate to use the word I'm not going to use the word resilient because I think it's overused but just, the people's capacity to, to do things, you know at all levels of the population, people who are just very capable, you know, in the civic sector, very capable people and the business sector, very capable people you know, in different sectors.

All over Puerto Rico there's there's just a lot of people who want to do things right.

At the same time we're also lacking in capacity, in terms institutional capacity, so to speak.

So it's kind of like individual capacity is very strong, but the institutional capacity is weaker.

But one of the things tha we have been able to do through this recovery effort is to build institutional capacity.

And if I can tell you how, you know, there is this organization, this, agency called COR3 which manages the reconstruction, and that is a brand new, agency, that was created to do this.

And what has happened is that to run this business, they have to do grant management and fiscal stewardship, you know, and so we have built enormous capacity around those disciplines.

And that has allowed us, not only that, we built capacity, but the skills and the standards, the grant reviews process that is being used and is now being exported to other disasters.

And now COR3 is considered one of the most capable, grant management offices in the entire nation.

So I guess when you ask, surprised was that, you know we have this discrepancy between what are these people that can do so many things and then we need to create this institutional capacity to manage these things.

Well I think we have just an extent.

And one of the things that I always think abou is that the disaster, you just the construction will end one day.

But the talent tha we have created in Puerto Rico through the establishment of COR3 can be easily transferred to other agencies and departments.

And that's something that we did not have before that we have now.

Similarly the FEMA office in Puerto Rico, the Joint Recovery Office, is a very large office.

At one point we had up to 3000 people at the height of the disaster.

It is fully staffed with Puerto Ricans, or not I can't tell you that 100% by a lot.

Most of them are.

Again, we're building that institutional capacity that when this will and that ability to manage these type of grants and these time, it's a lot.

It's very hard to manage what they're managing.

Not to mention you know, identifying projects, scoping is seeing what the need is, you know, this.

Cause all of that takes a lot of skill sets.

Again, we're developin in the FEMA, Office of Recovery of, the Joint Recovery Office.

So I think I think those are things, that are encouraging, and, and, you kind of see how layered it is and the need for it.

>>So, Gretchen, one other issue, you know, you you mentioned capacity, which is really a great observation.

One thing I, I learned when I went to Puerto Rico, last year, I went to their housing department and they were talking, you know, one of the capacity issues they were talking about is, is actually construction.

There's not enoug people working in construction.

So it doesn't matter how muc money is coming from Washington if there's not the ability to implement things quickly.

Is that kind of considered or is that something that that is well know by the white House?

Obviously.

>>Not only is well known, we're actually having conversations with the construction sector in Puerto Rico and actually in the unions that want to work in the construction sector.

And while we're not leading on it, we have gotten people talking to the table, and we're actually actively talking, I hope we will land in a good spot for everyone.

But it's something that we're very, very aware, somethin that I would like to highlight.

This is a problem that's common in all territories.

Territories are by their geographic location isolated.

You can not get in a truck from Ohio and drive over to a job in Puerto Rico or to any other territory.

So workforce constraints is something that is, very real in the territories and again, not just in construction but also in other disciplines.

And, you know, a lot of it has to do in the case of Puerto Rico, that we they have bee in recession pretty much since 2000, 19, 2006 is when the recession hit.

I 96 yeah.

Around you know, early in the century, basically the recession started 2006, started kicking in.

And as this progressed, there was less and less building in Puerto Rico, less construction.

So a lot of people migrated, you know, to jobs elsewhere.

So, you know, it' been part of this cycle and one that we hope to recover with.

But yes, it's front and center and something that we have been actually actively meeting with the two groups.

>>So, Gretchen, obviously whe we're talking about Puerto Rico and obviously Washington' relationship with with San Juan, always the question of ultimat political fate comes is raised.

What is the the Biden administration done on the issue of statehood or independence or continuation of Commonwealth status?

>>Well you know, our official position and has been always our position is, the Biden administration, supports, the, the will of the Puert Rican people to determine their political status.

And we will support, you know, actions in Congress that ar taken to accomplish that goal.

I believe it was last year.

Years get a little bit smushed by the pandemic.

We, issued of a statement administration policy, a SAP support the Portico Status Act, which passed the House.

That, however, has not made it to Congress.

So we take it on a day by day.

You know, there are developments, but that is our position has always has been.

>>Is that is tha satisfying Puerto Rican voters?

Important Puerto Rican constituents, both in Puerto Rico and in Florida and elsewhere in the in the mainland?

>>I imagine not because it is a constant, it's very present in their minds.

But, we have to by for that.

This this is, this is an, it's, area over which Congress has control, not us.

So we can be supportive, but, we are not driving, actions in Congress.

And Congress has got an increasingly complicated over the last several years, as you know, one can observe, I think, doing that in the house, recently is accomplishment.

Accomplishment in and of itself.

>>So your, your duties, obviously, you know, Puerto Rico takes u a lot of your duties, I imagine.

But you also have other territories that that are also in your, under your, your, umbrella.

Can you tell us a little about some of the challenges in the other territories that you work on?

>>Well, one of the joys in my life it is to work with all the territories, and they have more in common than not just for the sake of everybody who might be watching this.

The five American territories are American Samoa, the northern Commonwealt of the Northern Marianas, Guam, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

They were all acquired more or less in the, starting 1898, Guam and Puert Rico came on line, so to speak.

Then at the beginning of the 20th century, American Samoa was acquired that it was ceded by the chiefs.

At the time, it was several years.

Then USVI was purchased for 2 million from the Danes in 1917.

And then the northern Marianas were part of a protectorate.

The Pacific Protectorate, after World War Two.

And they came after the US in 76.

So it's been, you know, over a large period of time, so to speak.

They have a lot in common.

You know, one of them is geographic isolation.

That really impedes, you know, the flights that arrive, the workforce that you can acquire, your access to medical care if there's non, even presence and, the presence being present in the minds of the people that make up these, positions, you know, they really are far and away another issues that impact all of the territories are, lack of parit and, and basic social benefits.

What this mean for the territories is that they have to use their own local resources.

They don't have big tax spaces to make up for basic social necessities or basic social services.

And as a result, they have fewer resources to invest in things like economic development.

So imagine if you're having a race and your shoelaces are tied up in the race.

That's the kind of situation that we're in.

Another is workforce which we already talked about, not only workforce but the variety of workforce.

You know, having people to run big infrastructure, contracts in the territories.

It's hard for them to attract this kind of talent again, because they are, far away.

And so capacity is like another big one.

And other things like data collection.

How can you plan without data collection?

The territories could, include a little bit more, add more programs, but the other territories have very little data collection.

You cannot plan, if you do not know the basics about your jurisdiction.

So again, it's a little bit like sometimes I wonder, you know, how can we ask them to deliver what we're asking them to deliver when we don't have the tools to deliver?

And this they have a lot in common.

And, you know, I think they have a very convincing and telling tale to tell as a group.

How these American citizens are a continuous advantage and why they should be if part of the, you know, American ideal of, you know, opportunity and possibility.

>>On that, of course part of part of what they need and what Washington provides is, is determined by Congress and all those territories you mentioned, including Puerto Rico, hav non-voting members of the House.

Is that enough?

Often, you know, it seems just looking at that history, a brief survey, but you can see there's been periods of episodic interest from Washington, but it hasn't really been consistent.

Is that a fair comment?

>>Yeah.

It varies.

It varies.

It varies.

Period.

It varies.

There's a several reasons.

Number one is, something that needs to be noted.

Is this is the first time there has been somebody in the white House doing the job that I do, you know, so there has been not only lack of continuity, there has been nothing in that regard.

So, one of the things that I hope for the future is that my position is institutional, so that there is always that point person there.

I should mention the Department of Interior, which who I collaborate completely and all the time.

The Department of Interior has jurisdiction over the four smaller territories.

It had jurisdiction of Puerto Rico as well until 1953 till Puerto Rico became you know, they, they, wrote their constitution, it was approved and so forth, and they became a, a self-governing jurisdiction.

So at that, since then, Portugal has not bee in the Department of Interior.

The interior has jurisdiction.

They have technical assistance programs, a grant program to, you know, help those territories, but those are basically Interior Department, resources.

The Department of Interior cannot, do things like change your Medicaid laws or, you know, provide them with other benefits.

You know, I don't know, like, you know, the classic, basic benefits, interior can only deal with what interior, can do but they are institutionalized.

There is an Office of international an and sort Affairs that is there.

And so, it is one of the things that can be done to make this work continue is to make it more formal.

You know, there are we have a blueprint for these things with, tribal affairs.

Tribal affairs was also an area where we di not have a lot of formalization outside of Bureau of Indian Affairs interior.

And since the Obama years they have made great progress.

And now they have a white House counsel on tribal affairs.

They have, a commission, an interagency commission headed by interior.

They have had subsequent executive orders dealing with tribal affairs.

So they are on their way.

They are institutionalized on the way to being having the resources, to to do the work.

The territories are, you know, at an earlier stages of this, it is my hope that we can somehow, expand, this work so that in the future we have people like myself and all the departments and agencies, that would make that having, having a point person at, you know, at the, at the leadership of these departments of agencies not only would create the expectation, but also allow for continuity from administration to administration.

And even if their party changes, you know, so but I have to tell you and I have said, I say that every time I have a place to say, no other administration has done more for the American territorie than the Biden administration, in turn, Biden-Harris administration, not only by creating my position, but by the type of attention it has given, to Puerto Rico and also the other territories as well.

Make sure they're include in the conversation, making sure we make adjustments for them, that are needed on a regular basis.

>>Gretchen, we will have, based on what you just said, you know, we will have a new, administration, in January, you know, are you personally concerned about the direction of, of either candidate going forward, both for your position and and for this very continuity that you've both said is important and that you said, needs to be maintained?

Well, you know, I am fully, confident that, the, Harris administration will carry forward the values of equity and inclusion that had characterized the Biden administration.

I can't really speak up to the other candidate.

>>Understood, understood.

So I want to ask, so you also mentioned about benefits, and of course, it's, I'm more familiar with Puerto Rico than the other territories, but but on benefit that come from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, things of that nature, it's not the same level as, citizens on the mainland receive.

Is that one of the issues that is part of the lobbying from the territories that they want more equity?

>>Yes.

There's a lot of lobbying.

There's lobbying on Medicaid, there's lobbying on Medicare.

There's lobbying on Snap to Snap you know, nutritional assistance to, from block grant to formula program to work for people that are not not to get to within the weeds, the NAP program, nutrition nutrition assistance program.

It's a block grant program.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as a formal program.

That's what the 50 states have.

Puerto Rico does not have it, to have that, statutory changes are made, meaning changes in the law.

There's a big advocacy movement to make sure that in the next farm bill or whichever comes first that is available, that we establish a transitio from NAP to SNAP a transition.

What that means is that you have to do certain adjustment.

You have to have the the mechanisms and the bureaucracy and as in the best sense of the world, to manage what are rather complex programs.

So, that is something that needs a change in law.

Not only will, you know, a assure health in Puerto Rico it will decrease poverty.

And again, we'll untie the hands of the government of Puerto Rico to go to do other things where there are resources.

The same can be said with Medicaid.

Also a block grant program i Puerto Rico and the territories.

We need to make changes in that.

We're not, you know, they don't get the people who need are not covered.

Not all the services are provided.

And the same thing can be said, for Medicare, in Puerto Rico, which the Medicare that is provided.

Well, there's there's two types of Medicare, Medicare fee for service, which is the regular program that a lot of people know.

And there's Medicare Advantage, which is provided by private companies.

That's what most are for.

You can have the rates for Medicare Advantage are the lowest in the nation by a lot.

Again, that would require a statutory change.

And so those are, you know, areas where people are constantly advocating for equal treatment, for something that is very basic and necessar for people to grow and prosper.

One other, kind of continual, issue that's raised is the Jones Act, which was was imposed to kind of close the Puerto Rican market a long time ago, perhaps I'm mischaracterizing that.

But that's been the been the effect.

And there's been periodic discussion of getting rid of the Jones Act.

So Puerto Rico can, can ship and be more competitive on the world market i it's going to grow its economy.

What do you what prospects do you see of changing the Jones Act going forward?

>>Well, you know, our our president, President Biden, supports the Jones Act.

You know, we we are we, strongly support many of our union who are invested in this, but, it is a conversation that impacts the territories.

They're, as I say, they're all, and Hawaiian as well, actually, they they are distant and they're removed.

And I think my hope is that we will continue the conversation on the impact these laws have on the territorie and remain open minded and open hearted for change that would, you know, not impact people for the better and not for the worse.

>>So, Gretchen, we jus just have a have a minute left.

I wanted to ask you more on a personal level, as a Puerto Rican, did you ever find yourself do you ever think that you would become the lady of the Islands, is your nickname, you became thi this position in the White House of such importance to Puerto Rico and all the territories?

>>Yo know, I tell this to everybody.

I believe in pushing the wall.

And if you push a wal long enough, the wall will move.

I tell you, tell this to my children.

I tell this to people when they're frustrated.

I think it's true.

I had been prior to this job working on issues pertaining to Puerto Rico and, and later on territories, for a decade.

And I had gotten, to the point where I had pretty much done everythin I wanted to do in that sphere.

And had ran out of options on doing more impactful work.

And then this happened.

So, I think it's really important to, do that.

What's your.

And I sound so trite but if you're passionate about something, things will happen, and you have passionate and have integrity about how you do things, you know, things will happen.

But no, it was not lik I had this goal of being in the white House on my goal was, how can I be more impactful?

And, and then this job has allowed me to do that.

It's been a great joy, to help people and to give access to all which we did not have before, and to help the navigate the federal government.

>>Well, Gretchen, you've you've obviously done a very good job and worked very hard.

Thank you for your service.

And thank you for spending some time with us today.

>>Thank you so much.

>>Thank you, Gretchen.

And thank you for joining us.

We'll see you again next week on another episode of Global Perspectives.