Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of a former member of this House who defined an epoch in Puerto Rican Politics.

On Sunday May 2nd, Carlos Romero Barcelo died, ending an outstanding career in Puerto Rico's political environment, as Mayor of San Juan, Governor, State Senator, and Resident Commissioner, and even after leaving elected office still an active leader in his party and in the cause of Puerto Rican Statehood to his very last days. He was one of the figures that marked indelibly the last 50 years of our political scene.

In his younger years he was part of a group of leaders who saw the need for a vision of the cause of equality of rights for the American citizens of Puerto Rico. He, a Democrat, joined Luis Ferre, a Republican, to refocus the statehood movement towards bringing an answer to the needs of the people for prosperity and security and affirmation of their rights.

In was this group that after many decades of virtual one-party rule in Puerto Rico established a balance of competitive elections, that expanded the use of primaries from local to national; that made it a goal to whenever possible attain equality in the rights and benefits of working families. And above all, to promote the essential step to equality and prosperity: the attainment of Statehood for Puerto Rico.

That quest brought him repeatedly to the halls of this Congress, as a party leader, as a governor, and as a participant in the hearings processes for the Status Bills of 1989 to 1991. Finally, as part of this House from 1993 to 2001 where he stood out in this effort, including his work with Congressman Young on the last Puerto Rico status bill to pass the full House in 1998.

Carlos was characterized for his energetic presence, for never being timid in expressing what he felt or believed, for demanding much of himself and of those who worked with him. His character was fiery, passionate, and inspiring in return strong passion both from supporters and opponents. You could not be neutral about him and he did not want you to be. But he also knew the value of teamwork and of giving an opportunity to those with potential. It was a privilege to know Carlos Romero, to work with him, to have followed and, yes, to have differed from him--if you had solid and respectful arguments, he returned that respect.

Carlos was part of a family who lent many figures to Puerto Rico's politics for over a century, and whose members we now embrace in solidarity in this trying time. It was not always easy and public opinion was often cruel, but that is the price of service.

It is the end of an era, and as we celebrate the achievements of a former member of this House it is also time to reflect and to reaffirm our commitment to the cause he stood for. It is now up to those who follow in his footsteps, to continue the journey towards that cause of equality for all, for which he worked throughout his life.

May the light perpetual shine on Congressman Carlos Romero Barcelo.

Madam Speaker, the history of Puerto Rico is rich with examples of men and women from all walks of life, whose accomplishments inspire us today and draw the attention of the world to our Island. But one group stands out as an institution whose efforts enrich the enduring legacy and might of the U.S. military, and has left an indelible mark on all Puerto Ricans and in the history of our nation and the world. The 65th Infantry Regiment is this institution.

After the change of sovereignty as result of the Spanish American War of 1899, a military unit was recruited from the Puerto Rico residents and organized into the ``Regimiento de Voluntarios Puertorriquenios''. In 1908 was reorganized into a Regular Army Unit of the U.S. and in 1920 was given the numerical designation of 65th Infantry, United States Army. However, what best identifies the regiment is not its numerical designation, but the name chosen by its members while en route to the battlefields of Korea in 1950; Borinqueneers.

Organized at the dawn of the 20th Century, the Borinqueneers matured in the service of Puerto Rico and the nation, secured the Panama Canal during WWI, was baptized by fire during the liberation of Europe in WWII, and was tempered by the conflagration of the Korean War. In the hilltops and valleys of that besieged land their valor and courage, as exemplified by men like SFC Modesto Cartagena the most decorated Hispanic soldier of the Korean War, secured their place in history. In 1960, the colors of the 65th Infantry Regiment were transferred to the Puerto Rico Army National Guard, where their successors continue to serve and preserve the history and honor of the regiment.

For 121 years the Borinqueneers never wavered in their resolve to give its best in the service of Puerto Rico and the nation. Overcoming the social norms of its time and without full representation in the U.S. Congress, as deserved by all American citizens, the Borinqueneers persevered and are an inspiration to all of us.

Today, April 13, 2021 as we commemorate the first National Borinqueneers Day--an initiative that I am proud to have led along with Senators Scott and Rubio, and Representative Murphy--I call on this body and all the citizens of our great nation to be inspired by their example and work together to overcome the challenges that we face.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of one of the many brave Puerto Ricans who have served our nation in our Armed Forces, the late Colonel Angel Luis Flores-Vellido.

For over a hundred years, the soldiers from Puerto Rico have proved themselves second to none in battle, side by side with their comrades from across the nation. Colonel Flores-Vellido distinguished himself in a long military career, among the hundreds of thousands of American citizens from Puerto Rico who stepped forward and served under the nation's flag, in defense of its security and national interest around the world, in wartime and in peacetime.

Angel Flores-Vellido served the nation starting in the Puerto Rico National Guard in the late 1950s and then the Regular Army as an Artillery Officer and Foreign Area Officer, completing higher military studies at the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College. His service spanned from Vietnam to Central and South America, to the Joint Chiefs at the Pentagon and the CIA under President George H.W. Bush, with achievements that earned him numerous high awards, commendations and decorations including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation and many others, before taking his well-earned retirement in 1993.

Throughout his career and in his retirement, he exemplified patriotism and the finest traditions and values of military service and personal honor.

Colonel Flores-Vellido passed away earlier this week and will be laid to rest in Dallas, Texas. He shall be remembered, with his comrades in arms from the past and from the present, for adding to the pages of our history and proving the worth of the Puerto Rican soldier.

We share the sorrow of his family and friends on his passing, at the same time as we celebrate a life of service and commitment.

Today we honor his memory and his service and reaffirm our commitment to do justice for our veterans and their families for all they have done for us.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Puerto Rico Recovery Accuracy in Disclosures Act, H.R. 1192.

Representative Velazquez and myself have proposed this bipartisan initiative in the last two Congresses, having achieved passage in the House during the last session. I think Congresswoman Velazquez is very thoughtful in terms of how important this is and the effects on PROMESA regarding this bill.

We support this bill as an important component in ensuring the restructuring process under PROMESA, and it looks out for Puerto Rico's interests.

This legislation requires any counsel and professional personnel that the financial oversight board may hire to work on a title III case for the restructuring of Puerto Rico's debt to submit verified disclosures of their connections with the debtor, creditors, or persons employed by the oversight board prior to being compensated.

These provisions extend the same requirements to decisions about the hiring of personnel for the restructuring as are imposed on such personnel under existing bankruptcy rules. I think it is important to have the same kind of rules for those people who are going to be managing, as we speak, those kinds of negotiations.

Our intention is not to exclude any people with expertise and knowledge about Puerto Rico's fiscal transactions from being resources in the restructuring process, but I think it is essential that any such connection be clear and known so that such persons' qualifications and the role they are going to be playing can be better evaluated.

Conflict of interest, or the appearance of a conflict of interest, can be best avoided if there are accountability and transparency during the process. This bill would allow that to happen.

This bill would require that such personnel must disclose in detail their participation and involvement with any entity involved in the issuance of Puerto Rico's debt and in any claims involving Puerto Rico's debt, informing the identity of each one.

Anyone who is serving in the board--and I repeat, anyone who is serving in the board--working to inform its decisions, or representing it before the title III court, must have the trust of all parties that they are committed to defending the interests of Puerto Rico to the best of their ability in accordance to the law and justice.

A lack of transparency in personnel decisions creates a lack of confidence and distrust. Learning that someone was involved in the business of one of the parties in the case, only after they are named and working on the case, does not create assurance of their commitment to the best interests of Puerto Rico or even managing the debt.

Our goal must be to reach the day that we will no longer need the provisions of PROMESA or the fiscal oversight board, and we can dedicate ourselves to rebuild our economy and provide for growth. But until that happens, we must demand that those instruments created by PROMESA be accountable and transparent in their processes. Anything else should be unacceptable.

That is the reason this bill, H.R. 1192, is important, and I ask my colleagues to support and pass this bill.

Madam Speaker, I say thank you to the Congresswoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) for this bill and for allowing this initiative to be a bipartisan one.

Madam Speaker I rise today in recognition of the service of Pete Lopez, who is ending his term as Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for Region 2.

Region 2 includes New York, New Jersey, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and having someone with Puerto Rico roots in charge of this Region was especially important in these last 4 years.

Puerto Rico was already facing important challenges in the areas of solid waste management, brownfields, power plant emissions and Superfund sites, in a territory with very limited extension of lands and waters. Pete Lopez made a great effort to work together with the Island government, the municipalities, and my office, to move through bureaucratic hurdles, review prior decisions, and inform the stakeholders, in order to perform the necessary work to protect the environment and empower the economic recovery of our communities.

But it was the devastation created by Hurricanes Irma and Maria that resulted in the biggest challenge with damage to environmental control facilities, drinking and wastewater processing infrastructure, and the generation of prodigious amounts of debris that our overstretched solid waste management systems were in no position to handle. Puerto Rico found in Pete Lopez a tireless supporter committed to our recovery and to have our rebuilding proceed the right way. Prior to joining EPA Mr. Lopez served as a Member of the New York State Assembly for over 10 years and 6 terms. During this time, Mr. Lopez successfully addressed flood recovery issues; helped create jobs; and both supported and advocated for children, families, teachers, schools, businesses, family farms and more. This definitely prepared him for what he had to face during his tenure at EPA. He knows what constituents need and what are their concerns, and what local and state governments need from the federal agencies.

As he completes this stage in his career, I congratulate him on his achievements, recognize his great efforts and wish him every possible success on the road ahead. Thank you, gracias, Pete, for your collaboration and for being there for us.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of U.S. Army Reserve Colonel Maria A. Juarez on the occasion of her promotion to Brigadier General.

Colonel Juarez entered the U.S. Army through the R.O.T.C. program at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus in 1992, with honors as distinguished military graduate. Specializing in logistics she has served in the Quartermaster corps as a Regular Army and Army Reserve Officer for over 28 years, serving in multiple staff positions at all levels including Office of the Chief of Army Reserves, divisional and major Subordinate Command levels; with deployments and postings in the Continental States, Germany, the Balkans, Korea, and the Middle East.

Since 2017, she has been the commander of the 166th Regional Support Group in Puerto Rico, part of the Army Reserve Caribbean Geographical Command under 1st Mission Support Command. She took command of the RSG in July 2017 and within two months was faced with the largest domestic relief operation of the Army Reserve in Puerto Rico's history. During the Hurricane Maria Relief Effort the 166th carried out over 700 logistical support missions to remote locations throughout Puerto Rico.

From January to September 2019, she deployed with the 166th Group to Afghanistan, where she served as the Commander for the Regional Support Group in Kabul, Afghanistan, after which she was selected to serve with the U.S. Central Command as the Deputy Plans Chief for Iran Branch. So, she has been tested both at home and abroad, facing threats both foreign and domestic with distinction.

During her career, our newest Brigadier General has achieved two Masters degrees, in Strategic Studies and in Information Systems from the Army War College and Central Michigan University, and earned military awards and decorations including the Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, six Meritorious Service Medals and Army Commendation Medal, among many others.

Maria Juarez represents thousands of our Army Reserve soldiers in Puerto Rico, serving in our home front as part the largest U.S. Army command in the Caribbean, in the best tradition of service of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. military for more than a century. She also represents the high achievement of our women in uniform, breaking barriers and proving they are a priceless resource for the preparedness of our Armed Forces.

As she enters the next stage in her military career as a Brigadier General, I congratulate Maria A. Juarez and I know she will continue to reach great achievements. As the Representative from Puerto Rico and Co-Chair of the Congressional Women's Caucus, I am especially proud to be able to offer this recognition and to hold forth her example for young women at home and across the nation of what is possible with commitment, effort and dedication.

Madam Speaker, respect for the will of the people, which has been expressed through their votes in a valid democratic process and the peaceful transfer of power between administrations, is the foundation of our Nation.

Seeing the President incite groups to interrupt that very democratic process, leading them to take the U.S. Capitol by force, where two members of the Capitol Police died in the line of duty, is deeply outrageous. Using force as the mechanism to achieve change or access to power has no place in the constitutional transfer of office. I have never validated that resource to enforce anyone's opinion. All those who perpetrated these acts must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, including the President.

This Nation needs to heal the deep wound created by the acts of domestic terrorism on January 6, where at the end of the day democracy prevailed, Congress continued with the processes in which the Vice President validated the result of the elections in favor of a new administration.

That healing will come in less than a week with the transfer of power in an orderly and peaceful manner, as mandated by our legal system, but past events have caused many, including myself, to withdraw our trust in this President.

On past occasions I have rejected the President's conduct, while on other occasions I have recognized the great resources that he helped me bring to the Island in a time of need. In the same way, my priority continues to be defending the interests of the people of Puerto Rico and I will always work with anyone to achieve the betterment of the people I represent.

I swore to defend the Constitution against all foreign and domestic enemies. The acts of January 6 were an attack on our Constitution, they were acts of sedition perpetrated by domestic terrorists and that is why I join my colleagues from both parties in supporting an impeachment process against the President, even though as a Resident Commissioner I cannot vote in that process. This will serve as an example of the power of our Nation's democracy, where no one, including the President, is above the law.

Madam Speaker, I express my opposition to the proposed House Rules governing the 117th Congress.

As the Congresswoman for Puerto Rico, I represent 3.2 million Puerto Ricans, American citizens by birth since 1917. Yet as such I have no vote on passage of measures.

While House Resolution 8 will continue to provide the Delegates and the Resident Commissioner a vote in the Committee of the Whole, the vote will only count if the votes cast are not deciding votes.

If Delegates or the Resident Commissioner, while in the Committee of the Whole, cast deciding votes, the measure will receive a re-vote without any delegate or Resident Commissioner casting a vote during the second vote.

This is just a reflection of a continued injustice and a step that does little or nothing to address it.

More than a symbolic expression, my constituents need equal standing.

This past November, Puerto Ricans exercised their choice by casting 623,053 votes for statehood, capturing 52-percent of the total vote. This referendum was a straight yes-no question as to the ultimate will of the Puerto Rican voters.

Puerto Rico demands equality. My constituents voted for equal voting representation in the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate, which can only be achieved through statehood.

Puerto Rico would have at least four U.S. Representatives in the House and the Constitutionally mandated two Senators when it becomes a state. This would give the island six electoral votes during a Presidential election cycle.

And still, there are those who still try to subvert the will of the voters who actually live in the island.

All the crises that Puerto Rico has suffered during the past four years, including hurricanes, earthquakes, the coronavirus pandemic, and the fiscal crisis, demonstrate the urgency of achieving equality with the states.

That is why statehood cannot wait any longer. The island must receive the same treatment that is received in the rest of the nation. There is strength in the Union, particularly in moments of collective crisis.

The territorial status is also primarily responsible for the island's economic underdevelopment and decline.

According to the Census there are 5.4 million Puerto Ricans living in the rest of the United States as opposed to 3.26 million living on the island--a difference of 2.1 million people, driven by the lack of opportunity.

It's a pleasure to serve in this House, the most diverse in its history. However, we are failing to address the pressing issue of Puerto Rico's need for real, not symbolic votes in Congress.

The island deserves equality, and my constituents deserve representation.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in full support of the Territories Healthcare Act, which is scheduled to be considered in full committee markup tomorrow.

This bill addresses the multiple disparities of the Medicaid program in all U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico.

Medicaid on the island has a funding cap and a limitation of 55 percent of the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages, impacting the island's ability to furnish healthcare costs and services for close to 1.4 million people in Puerto Rico.

This bill will address these issues, increasing the cap and adjusting the FMAP for 4 years. If we do not address this issue, we are challenging medical access and services to approximately 1.4 million of my people.

Current social and political problems should not eliminate our understanding of what the people need and our responsibility toward them.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to continue their support and advocacy for healthcare parity for territory residents.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Ranking Member Thornberry and Chairman Smith for including my three amendments, amendments No. 162, 163, and 164, in this en bloc package.

Amendment 162 requires the Department of Defense to review the effects on preparedness and support to States and territories in connection with natural disasters, threats, and emergencies prior to inactivating Army watercraft units.

There are four of these vessels in Puerto Rico. They were instrumental during the recovery process after Hurricane Maria and conducted several recovery missions, including delivering food and other essentials to island municipalities and the Virgin Islands.

This role should be taken into account as part of the review process prior to divesting any of the Army's watercraft systems, especially considering the multiple jurisdictions that have been recently impacted by natural disasters.

Amendment No. 163 seeks to help us speed up the Federal cleanup and decontamination process in the former military ranges on the island municipalities of Vieques and Culebra. Specifically, my amendment directs the General Accounting Office to complete a study and a report to the congressional defense committees on the status of the process, including an analysis of the pace of ongoing environmental restoration efforts and potential challenges and alternatives to accelerate their completion. This comprehensive study will allow us to explore the most effective and secure methods to complete the cleanup process in Vieques and Culebra, which is vital to improve the quality of life of island residents.

The last amendment, amendment No. 164, highlights the importance of the Department of Defense counter-drug operations in the transit zone and Caribbean basin. It expresses the sense of Congress that combating transnational organizations in the region, particularly in and around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, is critical to national security of the United States, and that the Department of Defense shall work with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State and other relevant partners to improve surveillance capabilities and maximize the effectiveness of counter-drug operations in the region.

That is the reason I strongly urge my colleagues to support this effort, and I thank you for including these three amendments in the en bloc package.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I thank Ranking Member Fortenberry and Chairman Bishop for including in this en bloc group amendment my bipartisan amendment No. 103 to provide funding for the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers.

This program in USDA will reimburse farmers and ranchers in Puerto Rico, as well as in other U.S. foreign territories, Hawaii and Alaska, a portion of the costs that they may incur when transporting their agricultural products or equipment.

Our farmers and ranchers outside the continental U.S. operate at a competitive disadvantage relative to producers in the 48 contiguous States, partly due to geographic barriers and high transportation costs.

This program will help us address this reality by providing payments to help ranchers and farmers in the noncontiguous States or territories offset some of these costs.

This program has been funded at $1.9 million over the last couple of fiscal years, and my amendment will seek to provide the same amount of funding for fiscal year 2020, with a corresponding offset.

Madam Chair, I want to thank Representatives Gabbard of Hawaii, Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Radewagen of American Samoa for cosponsoring my amendment, and I urge my colleagues to endorse it.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, today I rise to speak on behalf of the bipartisan amendment No. 41 to division C of the Defense appropriations division to H.R. 2740.

My amendment seeks to provide an increase of $4,356,000 to further support the Department of Defense's Innovative Readiness Training program, bringing its total recommended funding level for fiscal year 2020 to $30 million. This proposed increase is made possible by reducing the Operation and Maintenance, Defense-wide account by the same amount.

The Innovative Readiness Training program, IRT program, is a Department of Defense military training opportunity, exclusive to the United States and its territories, that delivers joint opportunities to increase deployment readiness.

Simultaneously, IRT provides key services with lasting benefits for communities across our Nation, thus strengthening the bonds between the American people and the U.S. military.

Each year, this program enhances deployment readiness for approximately 7,000 servicemembers by providing hands-on, real-world training experience for mission-essential tasks, often in remote or underserved areas across the country.

Military units have an opportunity to refine their engineering, healthcare, diving, and transportation skills by performing services and developing projects for American communities that otherwise would not have the resources to conduct them on their own.

In 2018, the services led 39 missions across the United States. My constituents in Puerto Rico are among those who have greatly benefited from this program.

A year after Hurricane Maria devastated our island, 200 servicemembers participated in two of these missions to provide no-cost medical and construction services to local residents.

Through the Ola de Esperanza Sanadora mission, they assisted local authorities in providing medical, dental, and optometry care to over 3,800 patients. Similarly, they partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build a three-family home designed to resist hurricanes in the Quintana neighborhood of San Juan.

Earlier this year, the 1st Mission Support Command and the U.S. Army Reserve Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico soldiers joined more than 500 members from different DOD components in a mission on the island that provided medical service to over 9,000 patients, delivered over 2,000 eyeglasses, and completed over 10,000 medical procedures.

Participating units, therefore, increased their readiness and obtained valuable, hands-on training experience while helping thousands of their fellow American citizens in Puerto Rico receive the care they need.

Other communities across the Nation have also benefited greatly from this program. In Alaska, as an example, the program supports missions like Operation Arctic Care, which provided roving medical and dental care to rural and Alaska Native villages.

In the Northern Mariana Islands--and I want to thank Congressman Sablan for being an original cosponsor of this amendment--these missions have helped renovate and improve the Tinian Health Clinic.

In Mississippi, this mission has partnered with a local foundation in a multi-year mission to build a special-needs camp.

Given how these missions have been vital in improving our servicemembers' readiness while simultaneously offering quality services to thousands of Americans, I strongly believe Congress should provide as much support as possible for the program. This amendment seeks to do that.

I commend Chairman Visclosky, Ranking Member Calvert, and the House Appropriations Committee for including a $10 million increase above the President's budget request, and my amendment simply seeks to complete this effort by providing an additional increase to bring the program total budget to $30 million, consistent with the recommended funding level in the Senate version for the fiscal year 2020.

Madam Chair, I want to conclude by thanking my colleague Congressman

Sablan from the Northern Mariana Islands for cosponsoring my amendment. I urge my colleagues to join this effort, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on June 4, we will celebrate 100 years since Congress passed the 19th Amendment, which correctly recognized women's right to vote.

At that time, only one woman had served in Congress: Jeannette Rankin, in 1916, from Montana. But today, we have more women serving in this Congress than ever before, with 131.

In this proud moment for both women and our Nation's history, we also honor the suffragists who, more than a century ago, paved the way that allows women to take part in this democratic process and that also allows me to stand here as the first woman elected to represent Puerto Rico in Congress.

Because of our territorial status, Puerto Rico has been historically excluded from our national process, including the 19th Amendment ratification process.

Prior to becoming a U.S. territory in 1898, Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony, and people on the island advocated for political equality for women, beginning with a right to education. But it wasn't long after becoming a U.S. territory that Susan B. Anthony advocated for equal political and civil rights for men and women in the new possessions, including Puerto Rico.

This advance in civil rights was one of the first reasons why people on the island began to fight for the conversion of Puerto Rico as a State of the Union.

It was the leaders of the Republican party who first included women's vote as part of their platform, and they also presented legislation to achieve it. As the measure did not progress, our suffragists sought support from national organizations and the United States Congress, which introduced legislation extending women's right to vote in Puerto Rico.

Finally, in 1929, Puerto Rico's Legislature recognized the right to vote, but only for literate women; and in 1935, the right to vote was granted to all women.

These series of events led to the election of Maria Luisa Arcelay, who became the first woman in Puerto Rico to be elected to a government legislative body in 1932.

However, because Puerto Rico is an incorporated territory of the United States, despite being U.S. citizens since 1917, Puerto Ricans cannot vote for the U.S. President, and they are also denied voting representation in this Congress.

While this Congress is legislating to extend benefits to all women, I must raise my voice many times to advocate for these rights to be extended to territories like Puerto Rico that still lack, at a general level, full equality in relation to a State.

Statehood for Puerto Rico will happen. The question is when this Congress will do it.

The end of slavery, the end of segregation, and women's right to vote are just examples of civil rights that took a while to become the law of the land. Statehood for Puerto Rico will follow.

We are still fighting for equal pay, for equal work, for being able to walk safely without fear of sexual harassment, for eradicating gender violence, for having more access to where decisions are made, for having more representation in different fields, such as science, arts, sports, business, and economics.

As we rejoice and celebrate progress in equality for women, I ask my colleagues to be reminded that their job continues and much more remains to be done to achieve equality for all Americans.

That also includes the veterans of Puerto Rico, veterans that lack access to TRICARE Prime options on the island. Instead, only Active Duty servicemembers and their family members have access to TRICARE Prime, specifically TRICARE Prime Overseas.

This also affects the access by spouses and dependents to benefits as their family member serves our country.

Current law dictates that military retirees under the age of 65 in Puerto Rico and the territories are eligible only for TRICARE Standard.

That is the reason I filed H.R. 2171, which seeks to rectify this problem by making TRICARE Prime available to over 29,000 servicemembers in Puerto Rico, who have retired from the Armed Forces, and their dependents.

According to the report by the Congressional Task Force on Economic Growth in Puerto Rico, not having access to TRICARE Prime is one way in which Puerto Rico is treated differently under several Federal programs.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2171.

Madam Speaker, it is urgent to pass a Disaster Supplemental Bill.

Citizens across our nation--from California to the Carolinas, from Florida to the Northern Marianas and Puerto Rico, are counting on us to pass a bill that address the urgent needs caused by natural disasters.

The more that passage is delayed, the longer our communities will have to wait, because just passing the appropriation is the beginning of a drawn-out process.

I know my constituents are waiting, for the 600 million dollars for the Nutritional Assistance Program that I have long been advocating, which will cover a gap in funding under the supplemental appropriations made in the immediate aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. As of last month, these residents who have not fully recovered are already seeing a decrease in benefits because we have yet to pass a disaster bill.

They are also waiting, like those in many states and territories, for funds Congress already appropriated.

For example, after 20 months later, of some 42.3 Billion allocated to Puerto Rico, less than half has been obligated, and only 12.6 has been outlayed.

This funding is still being reviewed with great scrutiny by FEMA, by HUD, by the OMB Office of Regulatory Affairs.

The funds that have been disbursed are being used to pay for work already done or have strict definitions as to what these funds can be used for.

Conditions and requirements that slow the flow of funds has resulted in companies and nonprofits that did work and provided services are still waiting to get paid.

So I welcome the language included in the Disaster Supplemental passed by the House, that provides a firm deadline for OMB to publish the Federal Register guidance for use of funds so things can start moving.

I am also encouraged by the provision that extends the 100 percent federal cost share, which is essential for communities whose assets and sources of revenue were affected; and the language that FEMA ``shall'', rather than just ``may'', help rebuild to better standards. There provisions benefit all affected jurisdictions.

One thing we must still address is the definition of ``critical services'' eligible for Stafford Act support, which today does not include important elements such as first responders, nonemergency major medical services, solid waste and stormwater management, and emergency supply transportation.

That is why I presented H.R. 2242, which I proposed as an amendment to H.R. 2157 but was not made in order, to expand the definition of ``critical services'' for eligibility for FEMA disaster Public Assistance.

By allowing these important elements as critical services, we can ensure that communities will not need to deal with such a burden after having their own resources destroyed or exhausted in the initial response.

For example, not being able to get supplies out of the port to where they were needed, and loss of access to major medical services, worsened the impact on the population in Puerto Rico.

My proposal would amend the Stafford Act to include emergency supply transportation, nonemergency medical, first response and security services, and solid waste and stormwater management among the critical services for which Section 428 may be applied. I urge that my proposal receive the needed consideration.

Madam Speaker, it is up to Congress to continue the support for the recovery of all communities affected by these disasters. Let us do that.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is urgent for Congress to approve the disaster supplemental bill.

Although I welcome the House version, I am still waiting on the Senate side to work a final solution.

The more that passage is delayed, the longer our communities will wait because just passing the appropriation is the beginning of a drawn-out process.

I know my constituents are still waiting for the $600 million for the Nutritional Assistance Program that I have long been advocating. That will cover the gap in funding under the supplemental appropriations we made immediately after Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

As of last month, those residents who have not fully recovered are already seeing a decrease in benefits because we have not yet passed the disaster bill.

For example, 20 months later, of some $42 billion allocated to Puerto Rico, just $12 billion has been outlaid. That means that we have work to do, and this funding is still being reviewed with great scrutiny from FEMA, HUD, and OMB. That is the reason I do believe we should move across aisles to make this happen.