Puerto Rican Congresswoman Jenniffer González came to Omaha on Wednesday, not seeking votes, but instead to see her constituents and support her colleague, Congressman Don Bacon.
Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and not a state, it has no senators. It's only delegate, González, has limited voting privileges. When she needed support for Hurricane Maria relief, she relied on support of Bacon. As a thank-you, she wanted to come visit his district and constituents.
Together, Bacon and González toured South Omaha, and met with local Hispanic businesses to discuss tax cuts and the econom. Both representatives said most of the the businesses they spoke with said business was booming.
They also met with hurricane victims who were forced to relocate.
"It was a big opportunity to discuss what's going on in terms of the recovery process on the island," said González. "There were a lot of people who came and asked a lot of technical questions and it's good to let them know we have boots on the ground and what we're doing."
The duo also toured the South Omaha Boys and Girls Club to learn about programs and the building. While meeting with local kids, González also met with Puerto Rican kids who were impacted by the storm.
González and Bacon said they also heard concerns that hurricane transplants are still facing in Nebraska.
"They were telling me some of the experiences of people that moved after the hurricane. Some of them nurses, or professionals with licenses and they were asking how to get their license here. So we need to make it work with local requirements," said Gonzáalez.
González also endorsed Bacon during a private luncheon with Hispanic community leaders.
