ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida lawmakers are pushing for funds for Puerto Rico to help the island recover during the State of the Union address.

Rep. Darren Soto (D-9th District) invited Jessica Carillo, who evacuated the island because of the earthquakes, as his SOTU guest in the hopes to inspire his peers to help.  

“That’s what we in Central Florida do -- we have strong link to the island," Soto said. "Many families have families here and on the island.”

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) met with Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez to discuss the help her island needed and follow up on recovery efforts. 

“We have a lot of Puerto Ricans in our state and a lot of our families are back there," Scott said. "What I tell them all the time is, ‘You tell me where’s there’s an issue and I’ll work hard to try to solve it.'"

He added, “I’ve met with some of the mayors and others and said, ‘If you tell me where’s there’s a bottle neck, I’ll work on solving on it.' I’ll make sure Puerto Rico gets the aid they need.”

Vázquez is attending the SOTU as a guest of Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colon. 

Soto and other members of the House plan to approve a $4.67 billion emergency spending package that includes $3.26 billion in community development block grants and disaster recovery funds, plus $1.25 billion for road repairs. 

“We’ve had schools collapsing so you have thousands of kids not returning to school yet," Soto said. 

Once approved, it will move on to the Senate floor.

Sen. Scott said he also spoke with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure Congress-approved funds will be available for the island.