How do you solve a problem like Maria? The politics of disaster response in Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas.

ABSTRACT: COVID-19 is not the first, nor the last, public health challenge the US political system has faced. Understanding drivers of governmental responses to public health emergencies is important for policy decision-making, planning, health and social outcomes, and advocacy. We use federal political disaster-aid debates to examine political factors related to variations in outcomes for Puerto Rico, Texas, and Florida after the 2017 hurricane season. Despite the comparable need and unprecedented mortality, Puerto Rico received delayed and substantially less aid. We find bipartisan participation in floor debates over aid to Texas and Florida, but primarily Democrat participation for Puerto Rican aid. Yet, deliberation and participation in the debates were strongly influenced by whether a state or

SUBMITTER: Willison CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9545961 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature