Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) urged the White House to appoint an experienced emergency CEO of Response & Recovery to manage federal response in Puerto Rico. The CEO would have a direct line and access to the President, the Governor of Puerto Rico, all Cabinet Secretaries, member of Congress, and local Puerto Rican officials… Read more »
In a press release issued yesterday, Resident Commissioner González Colón, in conjunction with Federal Coordinator Michael Byrne; and Captain Eric King from the Coast Guard sector in San Juan, informed the public of federal aid for the island. At this time $626,711,526 has been used for the initial response for equipment and personnel through different… Read more »
Numerous Senators yesterday offered remarks regarding pending disaster relief legislation scheduled for passage today. Please see below for full remarks by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), Sen. Michael Lee (R-UT), and Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS). Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT): Today, in California and across the West, families are returning to… Read more »
Two of Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) former chiefs of staff, Cesar Conda and Alberto Martinez, make the case as to “Why Washington should finally make Puerto Rico a state” as first reported in POLITICO. The former senior staffers to one of only only a few Hispanic Senators reiterate the moral grounds: civil rights, support of the… Read more »
On Monday Oct. 16, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), having just returned from Puerto Rico, offered compelling remarks about his visit for his Senate colleagues: Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL): Madam President, I want to talk about a matter of life and death. It is happening, as we speak, in Puerto Rico. I went there yesterday. I didn’t… Read more »
The Puerto Rico Financial Oversight and Management Board “is actively working to assess how” the 10-year fiscal adjustment plans for the Government of Puerto Rico and several of its instrumentalities that it adopted “should change in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.” In a letter released Saturday, the Board wrote to eleven Democratic U.S. Senators… Read more »
On October 5, 2017, Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) introduced legislation to exempt Puerto Rico from the Jones Act for five years (H.R. 3966). The bill has three bipartisan cosponsors: Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), and Rep. Dave Brat (R-VA). In addition to creating an exemption to the Jones Act, the bill also… Read more »
Numerous Members of Congress have pledged they would treat the United States territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as equal partners to the states in terms of disaster assistance, and on Oct. 12 the House of Representatives made progress in upholding that pledge when it approved a $36.5 billion relief bill. The… Read more »
On Wednesday Oct. 11, Members of the House of Representatives spoke on the House floor to express solidarity with the people of Puerto Rico. The following Representatives gave some remarks: Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL), Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), Rep. Al Green (D-TX), Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX),… Read more »
On Wednesday October 11, 2017, House Republicans held a media availability event where they addressed the disaster relief legislation that is expected to pass today. This disaster relief legislation will address the relief efforts that stemmed from the California wildfires, and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate. The Senate intends to consider a related proposal… Read more »
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