Floor Statements

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the bloc of amendments, and amendment 41, for the Department of Defense to gather the data necessary to successfully extend the TRICARE Prime healthcare benefit to Puerto Rico to meet the needs of our retired military families on the same basis as in the mainland.

More than 200,000 Puerto Ricans have served in all branches to date, and the VA has registered almost 100,000 veterans residing in Puerto Rico, yet they face disparity in benefits. TRICARE treats Puerto Rico as an overseas location, with fees and copays higher than what they would be for Prime. Dependents of retired veterans in Puerto Rico either get fewer benefits or pay more.

Puerto Rican veterans have fought, bled, and died side by side with their comrades in arms from the whole Nation. The information required through this amendment will support the decision to finally do justice for our servicemembers and veterans.

Mr. Chair, I support this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding.

We would never have had this debate if we had had an opportunity to have a public hearing on the issue. So I oppose this amendment because this is more Federal regulation for the territories.

Cockfighting is already a highly regulated industry in Puerto Rico. Originally regulated in 1933, then in 2007. We actually have offices regulating this issue that creates an $18 million industry on our island with 27,000 direct and indirect jobs. Already the farm bill permits that cockfighting will be prohibited in the States and interstate commerce, but can be legal if the State or the territory authorizes and regulates the event.

That is the situation with the territories; we regulate the event. Actually, this proposed legislation will cause a highly regulated industry to go underground and go to the streets where there is no control at all.

Our constituents were never heard on this issue, and we are looking for that opportunity. I do believe that we are not having the opportunity to be treated equally. That is the reason I oppose this amendment, and we should have at least a public hearing on this issue.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment to H.R. 2 at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 2.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment aims to take a deeper look into the Thrifty Food Plan and how it influences the amount of funds currently calculated for Nutrition Assistance Block Grants provided to Puerto Rico through the Nutrition Assistance Program, NAP.

Puerto Rico is currently included in the Thrifty Food Plan of the 48 contiguous States. However, the island imports most food items that are sold in stores, which increases the cost families pay when purchasing foods included in their diet.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment will require the Secretary of Agriculture to produce a report on the feasibility and impact of Puerto Rico having its own Thrifty Food Plan. This will allow the government of Puerto Rico and the Department of Family, which administers the program on the island, to make an educated decision on how to move forward in terms of acquiring benefits and addressing factors that reflect increases in the cost of food items found and purchased on the island.

My second amendment will request the Secretary of Agriculture to produce an update on a 2010 report previously generated by the Food and Nutrition Service Agency at the USDA. That report will indicate the percentage of households that will receive nutritional assistance and what the average monthly benefit per household would be if Puerto Rico were treated equally under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, SNAP.

As approved by the 2014 farm bill, Puerto Rico's cash portion of benefits obtained through NAP will gradually be reduced by 5 percent each year until 2021--right now, that measure is waived by this administration because of the hurricane--when all NAP benefits will be then available through the electronic benefit transfer system.

In view of this and in preparation for this, we must start considering if a transition to SNAP is feasible or not and, if so, what it would mean for my constituency in terms of benefits and requirements. An updated study will allow us to have recent data to properly consider making this decision along with the government of Puerto Rico and the Federal Government.

Mr. Chairman, my amendments essentially seek better facts and better data on the nutritional benefits my constituents receive and depend on. For many families on the island, this is the main source of nutritional assistance.

As Puerto Rico's sole Representative here in Congress, it is my responsibility to make sure that we have the tools and information we need at hand to collaborate with State officials and make those decisions that will continue to help families on the island maintain proper access to a quality diet and, therefore, a proper quality of life.

Mr. Chairman, decisions that are this important and delicate should not be subjected to guesswork but based on updated facts, and my two amendments will do that.

Mr. Chairman, I also want to share that these amendments, as drafted, do not increase mandatory spending.

And, last, I would like to urge my colleagues to support these two amendments, and I want to thank the chairman of the Agriculture Committee for helping me out in drafting my amendments and helping the people of Puerto Rico.

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

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I spoke about the two amendments before, so I am going to be brief now in speaking about this amendment, not without thanking Chairman Conaway for helping us out to get this amendment through.

Amendment No. 15 will just request an update on the survey in the request of data for the island. This second amendment requests the Secretary of Agriculture to produce an update on the 2010 report previously generated by the Food and Nutrition Service Agency at the USDA. That report will indicate the percentage of households that will receive nutritional assistance and what the average monthly benefit to their household will be if Puerto Rico were treated equally under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP. We don't receive that.

As approved in the 2014 farm bill, Puerto Rico's cash portion of the benefit obtained through the NAP program will gradually be reduced by 5 percent each year through 2021. Of course, that situation, that 5 percent reduction has been waived since last year by the administration because of the hurricane situation, but all NAP benefits would then be available through the electronic benefit transfer system, the EBT.

In view and in preparation for this, we are beginning to consider the transition to SNAP, if it is feasible or not, and I do think it is feasible. So we are looking forward to having a report that will allow us to know what kind of benefits my constituents will be receiving.

An updated study will allow us to have recent data to properly consider making this decision, along with the Government of Puerto Rico. My amendment will essentially seek better facts and better data on the nutritional benefits my constituents, the people of Puerto Rico, receive and depend on. For many families on the island, as you may know, this is the main source of nutritional assistance.

I am the only representative of the people of Puerto Rico here and in the Senate, and it is my responsibility to make sure we receive that kind of data. The last time was in 2010. We are in 2018 without an update of that report.

So we look forward to having the tools and information we need at hand to collaborate with State officials and the Federal Government to enable those families to continue to receive those kinds of services and the island to maintain a proper access to a quality diet and, therefore, a proper quality of life. Those decisions need to be made by updated facts and not subjected to guesswork by some officials.

I do believe that this amendment, as drafted, does not increase mandatory spending, so it will require just data. That is what we need.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today I ask that Federal support for Puerto Rico power restoration must continue until full completion. We still have 20,000 homes without service on the island.

Last weekend, Representative LaMalfa and I were visiting one of the towns in Yabucoa. People are still without power on the island, and this Friday, May 18, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA are going to be leaving the island.

That is the reason that the current electrical restoration mission through FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers must continue, and the contracts under it, without that expiration date. That is the reason the alarming situation we are still living, just 16 days away from the next hurricane season, must be stopped.

I request FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers to extend the mission so crews can remain on the job full-time until all areas are restored. This is an urgent situation on the island, and I request that FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers deal with it.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Hogar CREA of Puerto Rico on its 50 years of service to our community, helping people who struggle with substance abuse reclaim their place in society.

Hogar CREA was founded on May 20, 1968, in Puerto Rico by Juan Jose Garcia. The nonprofit organization has over 55 houses and 12 projects, in addition to 32 service proposals that serve more than 2,000 residents daily. Prevention and counseling services were established for communities, schools, municipalities, civic and religious entities, among others.

Moreover, in 1976, Hogar CREA began establishing international homes; and today, it provides service in more than 10 countries throughout Latin America and in several States of the Union.

Hogar CREA's historic mission has been to serve the helpless and to be an instrument to mitigate the suffering of those who live under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Let's recognize Hogar CREA on their 50 years of service.

Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday, the Puerto Rico Air National Guard tragically lost nine of its finest near Savannah, Georgia.

The people of Puerto Rico, especially the close-knit family of our Air Guard, share the terrible pain and join in prayer for the families of Major Jose Roman Rosado, Major Carlos Perez Serra, First Lieutenant David Albandoz, Senior Master Sergeant Jan Paravisini, Master Sergeant Jean Audriffred, Master Sergeant Mario Brana, Master Sergeant Victor Colon, Master Sergeant Eric Circuns, and Senior Airman Roberto Espada, all fallen in the line of duty.

Like all members of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, they are an example of the best in the long tradition of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. Armed Forces. They risked and gave their lives like many others before them, serving the Nation and a community that is shattered by their loss. We are proud of their service.

As we mourn our heroes, let's commit ourselves to honor their sacrifice by giving their comrades in arms the adequate resources and support to do so.

God grant our fellow warriors rest, and may His eternal light shine upon them.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 4 and, of course, the amendment that I am supporting and sponsoring today. I want to thank Chairman Shuster for providing me the opportunity to speak on behalf of this simple yet very important amendment that Congressman Don Young has joined me in sponsoring.

A lack of reliable data on which Congress can make informed decisions is a recurring problem for Puerto Rico. The bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Economic Growth in Puerto Rico, established by PROMESA, unanimously recognized this problem, back in 2016, and made numerous recommendations that were designed to include Puerto Rico in Federal statistical programs.

My amendment to H.R. 4 is consistent with the Task Force's recommendations to remove regulatory burdens inhibiting commerce between Puerto Rico, the U.S. mainland, and international markets.

Puerto Rico needs to reactivate and diversify its economic base in order to emerge not just from the current disaster situation, but to have stable, long-term economic growth.

My amendment simply seeks to evaluate Puerto Rico's potential as an air cargo hub and to obtain recommendations as to how to best achieve that potential. It does not change the current statutory regime over air cargo operations on the island. It simply seeks to provide the hard data required to make a sound decision about it.

It provides for evaluating the competitive situation in the Caribbean region, not just relative to Puerto Rico, but to other foreign and continental U.S. airport hubs serving it so that it also serves to provide a better picture for the overall future competitive environment in the region.

Puerto Rico has the necessary infrastructure in three international- capable airports with ample space and ports. The island also has a privileged geographic location that gives it high potential as a cargo hub between the Caribbean and northern South America, Europe, and Africa, as well as being at the southeasternmost corner of the U.S. domestic air transportation network.

The Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association, the largest business and employer organization on the island, supports this amendment and the potential development of the island as an air cargo hub. The island's pharmaceutical manufacturers would also benefit from Puerto Rico becoming an air cargo hub.

Mr. Chairman, it is the private sector and private investments that will play the leading role in rebuilding our island's economy. This is now, more than ever, critical as we continue to recover in the aftermath of the hurricanes.

The island of Puerto Rico's jobs are American jobs, and we look for new opportunities to grow our economy. This amendment will provide the data to evaluate what would be the capacity for developing this kind of business activity and what its potential impact would be on the local and national economy.

I want to thank Chairmen Shuster and LoBiondo for their support and guidance, and I urge that this amendment be adopted as part of this reauthorization bill.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, this bill will provide data that is important for the due recognition in terms of the capabilities of the island for the near future, and I hope this bill will pass and give Puerto Rico the opportunities we need to fulfill the opportunities in the region and the States.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize and honor the life of Baltasar Corrada del Rio, Puerto Rico's 13th Resident Commissioner in Congress who passed away this Sunday at 82 years old.

Mr. Corrada del Rio was born and raised in Puerto Rico and was a founding member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. He served in this body from 1977 to 1985. He also served as mayor of San Juan, secretary of State, and associate justice for the Puerto Rico Supreme Court.

Baltasar Corrada del Rio was a true statesman. His career exemplifies the qualities we all seek in our public servants: dedication, honesty, and love of our country. His life will be remembered for his unwavering support for American citizens of Puerto Rico and our quest for equality.

Mr. Speaker, I pledge to continue Baltasar Corrada del Rio's work during my time in Congress and ask the House to join me in expressing condolences to his family and our profound gratitude for his years of service to Puerto Rico and in this Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for allowing me to support this rule that will have, finally, this bill to be considered on this floor.

I think it is important to acknowledge that still, 5 months after the storm, after Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma hit Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, 30 percent of Puerto

Ricans are still without power. That is something that you will never expect in a U.S. territory or neither a State.

So that is one of the biggest reasons I stood here, at 3:30 in the morning. Why? Because it is time to show our deeds in terms of supporting a bill that will have the money to restore the power grid in Puerto Rico, to help the island to recover from the last hurricanes.

Also, we were facing a medical cliff in April of this year--a medical cliff that will put an end to the insurance to 680,000 patients in the island. That is the reason this bill is so important for Puerto Rico.

Actually, we have been waiting for 2 months. This bill has been stalled in the Senate, and I actually am very happy to see that agreement between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate voted 71-28 to have this bill here tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I need to say that today Congress will make a critical vote in terms of that we finally have a budget deal, and this is the time to vote, not for ideologies, but for the people, for American citizens all over the States. For the States and territories that were struck by disaster during the last year, this bill will provide billions of dollars, including improvement to Puerto Rico's electrical power network.

It also takes the steps to secure the island's Medicaid program and ensure that our people do not lose their health coverage. For the past year, I have been fighting to ensure Puerto Rico receives the money necessary to avoid that medical cliff now in April. This funding will give Puerto Rico and Congress the time to craft a long-term solution, not just for Puerto Rico, but for all U.S. territories, and help out the medical problems that we all face.

I want to thank, especially, the Speaker of the House, Speaker Ryan, the members of this leadership who have been supporting me all of the way; the chairmen, Chairman Walden, Chairman Burgess, Chairman Sessions, Chairman Frelinghuysen; and all members of this House leadership who have been working with me, visiting the island, even Members from the other side of the aisle, supporting Puerto Rico.

You know what? That is the hard work that we need to do for our people.

On the Senate side, I need to thank our special friend and advocate, Senator Marco Rubio, who has been supporting this issue since day one.

I also want to thank all Members of both Chambers willing to save Puerto Rico from near collapse and to help their fellow citizens in the island.

I urge my Democratic colleagues, if we want to help Puerto Rico, now is the time to do it. It is not just talking, it is time to act. It is time to vote for this kind of bill. We can't be hostage of another bill, and I do support having an immigration bill happen.

This is a disaster bill that has been included. It has been included in this budget, and we must take action today. That is the reason; this is the time to show it, not by words, by acts. That is the reason I ask my colleagues to vote for this, not say just we want to help Puerto Rico. This is the time to show you really want to help Puerto Rico; you really want to help the island.

I understand that, as the Senate did a few minutes ago, we can come together and support what we are willing to do. In Puerto Rico, there are still a lot of things that need to be done. There are so many needs to be met. But let's continue to work together, as the Senate did today; and I hope, and I expect, the House can do the same thing.

Mr. Speaker, 4 months after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, 40 percent of our people still lack electricity, with a system barely patched up. Of almost 80,000 homes approved to receive the temporary ``blue roof,'' only half of them have been installed.

Those are only two examples. The hurricane season will be back in 5 months, and then we will be required to start all over again. The situation demands extreme urgency from all Federal agencies.

What is taking so long? Where is the sense of urgency?

This would never be tolerated in any State.

The provisions of the Stafford Act limit us to only patching things up. The supplemental disaster appropriations bill addressed this, but it is stalled in the Senate.

We expect better. We deserve better. We will work to lift ourselves up, but we need the tools to do so. We expect the Federal agencies to act urgently.

Mr. Speaker, today, after almost 120 years under the American flag, Puerto Rico remains as a colony of the United States, or under the Territorial Clause, to use the constitutional term.

Our residents are subject to a second class citizenship. For all these years, the Federal Government has denied equal rights to all Puerto Ricans who have, in war and peace, made countless contributions to our Nation; who have bravely fought in every conflict since the Great War, defending our democratic values, yet they are being denied the right to vote for their Commander-in-Chief and have full representation in this Congress.

A large number of them have made the ultimate sacrifice, and when they do, their casket is flown back, covered in an American flag with 50 stars, and without the one representing them.

Puerto Rico has experienced long-standing inequities under Federal laws, which now the whole world has been able to witness firsthand following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.

Before that, hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans have already rejected this discrimination, choosing, instead, to buy their equality with a one-way airline ticket to Florida or simply changing their State ZIP Code.

Without the equal rights and responsibilities that are only available through statehood, Puerto Rico will never truly recover and prosper from the hurricane effects. That is the reason we demand and deserve statehood for Puerto Rico now. The islands overwhelmingly voted for statehood in 2012 by a margin of 61 percent, and in June of last year, 97 percent of the islands voted again for statehood.

That is the request that brought me here. That is what brings, today, the Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossello, Puerto Rico Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz, House Speaker Johnny Mendez, and all other elected officials from the island who have come here to witness today's historic introduction of the Puerto Rico shadow delegation to this Congress. That delegation will demand that the United States recognize the will of the people of Puerto Rico to become a State.

This long-awaited action is in accord with the precedents set forth by the Tennessee Plan, adopted by the territories of Tennessee, Michigan, Oregon, California, Iowa, Kansas, and Alaska, which followed a similar path to eventual admission as States.

It is my honor to introduce this delegation of seven members--three Republicans, three Democrats, one Independent, divided into two Senators, five Members to the House--as we become a State.

Pedro Rossello, former Governor of Puerto Rico, serves as the chair of the delegation; Carlos Romero Barcelo to the senate, former Governor and a former Member of the house; Luis Fortuno, former Governor and a former Member of this House; Zoraida Fonalledas, Puerto Rico national committeewoman and businesswoman; Charlie Rodriguez, State chairman for the DNC and former senate president; Alfonso Aguilar, president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles; and Ivan ``Pudge'' Rodriguez, a Major League Baseball player inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Puerto Rico has come to this House today to claim the American Dream and to fulfill its destiny, to obtain equality within the Nation, and to unleash our full potential. Statehood will make Puerto Rico stronger, but we, together, will make the United States a more perfect Union.

Mr. Speaker, Puerto Rico's economy is the most vital aspect in bringing back some sense of normalcy to the lives of 3.4 million American citizens on the island after the devastating impact of both Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Puerto Rico's economy had already been in a decline prior to these unprecedented natural disasters, due mostly to the island's outdated and discriminatory territorial status.

Tax reform presented this Congress with the historic opportunity to, even if only partially, fix these longstanding inequities by granting Puerto Rico equal treatment to that of the 50 States.

While we are grateful for the extension of federally qualified opportunity zones in this bill to the island, I believe that there is broad recognition on both sides of the aisle that more needs to be done in the future.

Congress must live up to its responsibility and act decisively to end years of improvisation by implementing sustainable pro-growth economic policies that are based upon the bedrock principles of citizen equality and political empower, and my constituents deserve no less.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, my friend, for allowing me actually to speak about what is happening in terms of the USDA--the Department of Agriculture--and all the food programs on the island in terms of disaster, as the gentleman was explaining, how these programs work with the disaster.

As we speak, Puerto Rico's still has 60 percent of the island without power. As we speak, less than 20 percent of our island is having actual running water, problems with communications.

The first thing people will say is lack of electricity. They will say the lack of a proper home, when you have got more than 60,000 homes that just lost their roof or even are having a lot of damages.

So in that regard, the nutritional assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for disaster relief in Puerto Rico has been indispensable; it has been important. Actually, the continuous communication the Government of Puerto Rico is having with the Department of Agriculture has been the first time, I think, during a disaster in this magnitude.

We are living the 49th day after the hurricane. To make matters worse, for most of our people, the lack of power and the lack of water is just a fraction of the issues. I mean, we have still got a lot of schools that haven't returned to impart classes. So that means that you have a lot of kids in their homes without going to school, and a lot of several structural damages in the homes, businesses, communities, all around the island. The amount of flooding, roads and bridges that got serious damage or lack functionality is staggering at this time. So the nutritional assistance was a concern since before the hurricanes.

I need to say that I appreciate Secretary Perdue having a call with me and different conference calls regarding different programs. First of all, 9 of the 11 programs for disaster in the Department of Agriculture, in terms of the farmers, the territories, will never apply because we are not, in fact, allowed to apply. He made it happen. He used flexibility to allow Puerto Rico to access those programs in terms of the farmer disaster assistance, and I appreciate that.

That happens also with the USDA programs. The USDA officials have been in contact directly, not just with my office, but with the Governor of Puerto Rico, with the local officials since early on when this problem was hitting the island. As a matter of fact, I was in touch today with them regarding a lot of the problems.

I am also pleased with the inclusion of the disaster assistance for the Puerto Rican Nutrition Assistance Program in the second supplemental bill for the disaster relief that was approved here. However, we still need, of course, a lot of help. We still know that there is a long way to recover ahead of us.

Most of the challenges we are facing now are because of the lack of power, the lack of electricity. Our people are struggling due to not having access to their nutritional assistance benefits because there are still many stores that remain without power and they cannot process the benefits through the electronic benefits system.

If the benefits are not used, in the case of Puerto Rico, for a 60- day period, they are going to be removed from individual accounts, and then returned to the Nutrition Assistance Program.

So that is one of the issues we are still working with the Department: American citizens losing access to funds allocated for them to mitigate food necessities.

I would like to encourage the Department of Agriculture to take these difficulties into consideration and explore more avenues for remedial action, because I know nobody expected an island or a territory to be, after 49 days, without power. My people are helpless against the lack of electricity, yet they stand to suffer greatly because of it.

Additionally, the Government of Puerto Rico had to request two hot foods waivers to allow the purchase of hot foods using Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The first one was graciously approved by the Secretary, and I hope the second one that has already been received will be also accommodated.

Saying that, I want to thank personally Secretary Perdue and all the people working with FNS, USDA, and the Department of Agriculture, who have been visiting the island, dealing with farmers, dealing with the local officials. Of course, I just request that the agency remains sensitive to the challenges that 3.4 million American citizens are facing on the island. For that, I am thankful, I am grateful.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Thompson for allowing me to be here. I know this is not the first time that he is actually fighting for this. He has been a lone leader in that regard, and I want to join him in that effort.

It is difficult. I just rode out the hurricane down there. We never expect to experience something like this.

So this kind of program, the disaster program, is very important not just for territories, but for States. You will never know when something like this will happen to you.

The gentleman is thanking me, but you know what? I am receiving all these opportunities and help because I count on people like him to actually help me out, reaching the agencies, doing the amendments, and the votes that are needed to approve that kind of relief bill that was here. I couldn't vote for that. Even though I represent 3.4 million American citizens, I could not vote, but the gentleman did. So this is a team effort, and there is a long way to recover. I hope it is going to end here.

Again, I thank the gentleman for all he has been doing in the committee--in both committees, actually. I know we can, as a team, work out so the people of Puerto Rico may recover soon.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3922, the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act.

I wanted to begin by first thanking Chairman Walden and Dr. Burgess for their leadership in moving forward this critically needed legislation. I am particularly thankful for those in the leadership and all of my colleagues in the Energy and Commerce Committee for including a $1 billion allocation to temporarily address Puerto Rico's impending ObamaCare-created medical cliff, while also providing another year of the disproportionate share hospital relief.

To put things in perspective, when we arrived in this Congress during January of this year, more than 1 million Puerto Ricans were facing the imminent possibility of losing their healthcare coverage due to a funding shortfall resulting from ObamaCare's disparate application to the island.

We moved quickly during the appropriations bill, and they allocated $295 million to improve that situation. In this bill, we are allocating $1 billion for Puerto Rico's Medicaid program. This is an important step, but we still need to secure a permanent and equitable solution to Puerto Rico's longstanding Medicaid inequalities, and that means changing the FMAP for the island.

Mr. Speaker, first, I thank the Speaker of the House and the whole leadership, Chairman Frelinghuysen, and all of the members from the Appropriations Committee for allowing the Federal Government to help Puerto Rico in this dire situation.

On behalf of the 3.4 million American citizens that live in Puerto Rico and the nearly 5.5 million Puerto Ricans that live on the mainland, I rise today in strong support of this disaster supplemental appropriations bill. They have been focused on Puerto Rico since before the arrival of Hurricane Irma, and then during Hurricane Maria.

I also thank all of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle who have reached out during these past 3 weeks to express their encouragement and offer their assistance during this process. For that, my constituents and I will always be grateful to all of the Members of this House.

As you may know by now, Puerto Rico was hit by two major hurricanes. First, Hurricane Irma, which caused significant damage on the eastern part of the island. That was on September 6. Then, on September 20, a few days later, we got hit by Hurricane Maria, which caused unprecedented destruction throughout the whole island and which many people consider that hurricane to be the most catastrophic natural disaster ever on U.S. soil.

Today, 22 days after the storm hit, nearly 85 percent of our population remains without power, 44 percent without running water, and almost 58 percent without access to telecommunications. To this date, we still have towns like Las Marias, Maricao, Utuado, and many others in the central part of the island, that remain uncommunicated and can only be accessed by air since most of the roads and bridges were washed away. We are talking about more than 18 major roads and bridges that were just washed away. The death toll has reached 48 fatalities, and, unfortunately, certainly that number is going to increase in the coming days and weeks.

This unprecedented humanitarian crisis in our own Nation has begun what is likely to evolve into a mass exodus of Puerto Ricans to the U.S. mainland, further jeopardizing the island's long-term recovery.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today telling you that the American citizens that live in Puerto Rico still are suffering in different ways. This is not the time to focus on how and when resources will be withdrawn from Puerto Rico, or how slowly we are going to rebuild the island. Today, 85 percent of our island is without electricity, yet 3.4 million American citizens living there just got less than 15,000 people working to recover the power grid. I just want to remind you that Florida got more than 61,000 people helping to recover their power grid in just 4 days. That is not acceptable in our case, and we are still American citizens.

I know a lot of problems persist. It is too difficult to address the issue when you are not part of the mainland, you are not part of the power grid. It is different when you get access and resources to Texas, Louisiana, or Florida, because you can drive or you can have helicopters. In our case, everything is by ship or air. That means it is more difficult for the Federal Government to assist directly. That is the reason we got more than 15,000 personnel from the Coast Guard, National Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, Navy, and the assistance of all national guards--Virginia, Florida, and New York, just to name a few.

The Puerto Rican communities in the States and on the island are showing the way, along with private companies, NGOs, and countless volunteers throughout the whole Nation. But there is still a lot that needs to be done as we begin the reconstruction. That is the reason this supplemental is so important for us.

Allowing the people of Puerto Rico to access problems that we never have before, like SNAP, which will provide $1.3 billion to receive the same emergency disaster and nutrition assistance benefits as the States, this is the first time this Congress has allowed this to happen to Puerto Rico.

I thank the Members and leadership of the House for allowing this money.

This is the bill that provides for $18.7 billion to FEMA to have the disaster relief fund to help in lifesaving missions across the island for emergency protection and removal of debris--we continue to have a lot of debris on the island--and the repair and restoration of our infrastructure. That is going to be a matter of discussion on another day because we can't rebuild or redo the infrastructure we did before from the fifties or the sixties. We need to redo a lot of things on our power grid.

It will provide also--and this is a very important area--$7.4 billion to have liquidity to the local government of Puerto Rico just to match Federal funds that are needed to these recovery actions. This is the second step this House has taken in terms of helping the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, people that are American citizens. This is the second step. The first one was the first supplemental that was approved.

So this is the second step. This is not going to be the last one. We are going to need a lot more help in the coming months, and I know we can count on this House and on this Congress to make that happen.

The people of Puerto Rico are grateful, they are resilient, and they are going to continue to show us the way to recover. It is going to take a lot of time, a lot of resources, a lot of money, and a lot of commitment as U.S. citizens, like we are.